To say Clemson had the inside track to landing a commitment from four-star linebacker Jake Venables would be an understatement. Venables is the son of Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
The younger Venables is rated a three-star outside linebacker by Rivals, although his rating is as high as four depending on the recruiting service. The son of Clemson’s defensive coordinator, Venables choosing Clemson over other scholarship offers was likely expected on the recruiting trail, and it is also a nice little win for the Tigers. Bringing in the son of a defensive coordinator -- one of the best in the country as evidenced by just winning the Broyles Award as the top assistant coach in the nation -- is not necessarily a guarantee Brent Venables will stick around in Clemson for the next four to five years if other coaching offers come along, but it certainly doesn’t hurt the chances of keeping the defensive coordinator in Death Valley.