Jake Venables joins his father Brent at Clemson

★★★★  Jake Venables‍  Daniel High School - Clemson, SC

From the outside looking in it would be easy to assume that Jake Venables is only getting a chance at Clemson because his father Brent is Clemson's defensive coordinator.

Truth be told, Venables has the size you need in a linebacker, and he shows good ability to tackle in space. He is also a smart football player, and seems to always know where the ball is going in the passing game. It's easy to see that years of film and football conversations with his dad have paid dividends.

In our estimation, Venables needs to improve his strength against the running game, and improve his ability to set the edge. While not an elite athlete, playing smart with good technique will help find his way onto the field.