The All In Cookout, Clemson Football’s biggest recruiting event of the year, will take place this Friday.
Since its inception, the annual All In Cookout has been known to produce some late July fireworks. It’s been so successful, we’ve seen imitations sprout up all over the country in recent years. Even Alabama now has a version of their own, called the Champions Cookout. One has to wonder if it’s still called that.
This year’s edition of the All In Cookout should rank right up there with the best of them as far as starpower goes. The Tigers currently boast the number one recruiting class in the country and most of the players already committed will be on hand. Also expected to be in attendance are a handful of highly touted players still on the Tigers board.
EJ Williams, the four star WR from Alabama, is expected to be on hand. The Tigers have yet to land a commitment from a receiver for 2020, and Williams, a Top 100 player nationally, is at the top of the board. With an announcement set for the end of August, all that’s left to do is dot the I’s and cross the T’s….. Forecast- Lock
Three star receiver Ajou Ajou is also expected to be in attendance. He’s a project guy and still needs some work but the coaches liked what they saw when he camped at Clemson recently. The staff is looking to take two receivers in this class and it wouldn’t be surprising if Ajou went ahead and pulled the trigger on a commitment this weekend, locking one of those spots up. Nebraska has been showing some interest in Ajou as well…..Forecast- Lock
Five star LB Justin Flowe will make his much anticipated visit to campus this weekend. The Tigers have picked up a lot of momentum of late for the number one LB in the country who resides in California. The staff really likes where they stand at this point. Most experts still think he’s a USC lean but with Clemson, it always starts with getting them on campus. Especially kids like Flowe who have grown up on the other side of the country. It’s important to get them there to witness the culture you always hear about and the family like atmosphere that Dabo Swinney has created. If Flowe is to be swayed to the Upstate, it all starts this weekend….. Forecast- Little less than 50-50
Five star DE Jordan Burch is set to make an appearance as well. The Tigers were thought to have led for Burch, the number one player overall, early on. However, UofSC has been hard at work on Burch and have at the very least pulled even with their rivals, possibly even taking a small lead for his services. With Burch however, it’s really difficult to get an accurate gauge on where things stand. He and his mother have played things very close to the vest and very little information has gotten out concerning his recruitment. Georgia is also a team that could be in the mix. Regardless, if the Tigers are to land Burch, and lock up the best defensive line haul ever, this weekend will go a long ways towards making it happen. Forecast- 50-50
Another highly touted recruit who is rumored to be making the trip, is five star TE Arik Gilbert. Long thought to be a lock to Georgia, the question becomes can the Tigers make up enough ground with him to get him to rethink things, if in fact what most have assumed is true. Gilbert is the type of TE that would excel in this offense. At 6’5 and 253 pounds, he’s the 11th best player in the country in the 247 Composite. With his athleticism, he’d be a matchup nightmare. Forecast- Longshot
In the past, this event has produced its share of surprises. Who knows, maybe it produces one or two more this weekend.
