Three-star Georgia safety commits to Clemson
Consensus three-star safety Joe Wilkinson has committed to Clemson. He’s the No. 2,071-ranked prospect in the nation, the No. 200 safety, and No. 218-ranked prospect in Georgia’s 2024 class.
Clemson co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Mickey Conn was Wilkinson’s primary recruiter and helped the program earn a commitment on the doorstep of early signing day.
In January, Georgia Southern was the first school to offer him. Then ECU, Memphis, UNLV, Appalachian State, Miami (Ohio), Liberty, and Jacksonville State had all offered Wilkinson by the spring. He committed to Appalachian State on April 20 and earned a three-star rating shortly after.
The Georgia native stuck to that commitment until December 17, when he announced he “made the decision to de-commit in order to explore another opportunity that has been presented to me.”
Two days later, he’s elected to join the Clemson 2024 recruiting class.
The Tigers have the No. 17-ranked class in the nation and the third-best class in the ACC behind Florida State and Miami, according to On3.
Wilkinson is the seventh Georgia native to commit to the 2024 class out of the 19 total commits. Clemson has nearly taken more Peach State prospects than the University of Georgia, which has eight in-state commits in its 27-man 2024 class.
The three-star is from Rome High School, the home of Clemson freshman defensive lineman Stephiylan Green.
He is the third safety that Conn and the Tigers are taking in the class, alongside four-star duo Noah Dixon and Ricardo Jones.
Wilkinson’s senior film is impressive and showcases flashes of coverage ability and ball skills, combined with being a hard downhill hitter.
He finished the season as the region defensive player of the year, with 98 tackles, five tackles for loss, three interceptions, and a pair of defensive touchdowns scored.
My take:
Wilkinson was not on many college football recruiting boards until this year. He is a bit of a “late-blooming prospect” on the national recruiting scene. He was a key cog in the Rome High School defense, one of the best in Georgia, and allowed less than 8.5 points per game this fall. He was regarded as one of the top defensive backs in the state and made the GPB Sports All-Star team.
Regarding college projections, Wilkinson is a redshirt candidate and isn’t expected to be an immediate contributor at Clemson. He will have to fight through a crowded depth chart at the safety position.
The three-star has some upside, shown by his pure playmaking ability in high school. His football IQ and nose for the ball can translate well to the Power Five level.