Brent Venables has been the defensive coordinator at Clemson since 2012, recruiting and leading one of the nation’s best defensive units throughout that stretch. So Venables deserves plenty of leeway when it comes to which players he sees “Clemson DNA” in. While some might question the bottom line talent in his newest pledge, no one can question whether he’s seen enough of him over the years.
The latest commitment to Clemson’s remarkable Class of 2020 is Tyler Venables, a three-star safety from DW Daniel High School in Central, S.C. He also happens to be Brent Venables’ son.
A 5-foot-10, 191 pound prospect known for his football intelligence and positional solidity. He’s the third defensive back prospect to commit to Clemson’s 2020 class, joining four-star safety R.J. Mickens and four-star cornerback Fred Davis.
Yet something stands out about Venables, beyond the common last name to his father and brother, redshirt freshman linebacker Jake Venables: he’s the lowest rated commit in Clemson’s class, and one of only two three-stars to commit (the other is three-star Georgia running back Kobe Pryor). And Venables’ overall ranking in the Class of 2020 is nearly twice Pryor’s, per 247Sports.
All of which is to say that the youngest Venables has a lot to prove if he’s going to live up to the scholarship he’s receiving and prove that he isn’t a blatant act of nepotistic indulgence on the part of Clemson’s longtime defensive brain trust.
