Jeadyn Lukus commits to Clemson: 5 facts about Tigers’ first 5-star commit of 2022

Clemson’s 2022 football recruiting class has been heavy of defense so far and continues to stay that way.

Mauldin High School cornerback Jeadyn Lukus added another piece to the Tigers’ secondary by committing to the program Wednesday with an announcement on social media.

With the local commitment, Dabo Swinney and Clemson now have 11 verbal pledges for the 2022 class, six of which are defensive players. Of that six, five are defensive backs, which includes Toriano Pride, Sherrod Covil and IMG Academy teammates Daylen Everette and Keon Sabb.

Here are five things to know about Clemson’s latest pickup.

1. Clemson’s first 5-star commit for the class

While IMG Academy’s Keon Sabb was considered a five-star recruit throughout the summer, he lost a star hours before his commitment to the Tigers on July 17. That makes Lukus the squad’s first five-star commit, per the 247Sports Composite that factors in all networks. It also extends an eight-year stretch for the program. Clemson signed five five-star players in both 2018 and 2020. There’s still time for the Tigers to pick up a couple more with North Shore (TX) cornerback Denver Harris as well as defensive linemen Walter Nolen (Powell, Tenn.), Travis Shaw (Grimsley, N.C.), Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Lakeland, Fla.) and Shemar Stewart (Monsignor Pace, Fla.) still yet to announce their college choices. According to 247Sports Crystal Ball projections, Clemson is likely to get Shaw.

2. Highly touted in South Carolina

Both 247Sports and Rivals ranked the 6-foot-2, 185-pound cornerback as the No. 1 player in the state, a top 10 cornerback nationwide and one of the top 50 overall players in the country. According to Maxpreps, Lukus provided Mauldin with 36 tackles, three for loss, and an interception in six games played for all-region honors during his junior campaign. He also contributed to the offensive side of the ball as a wide receiver, making three catches for 20 yards to go along with a 37-yard carry.

Before committing to Clemson, Lukus had 26 total scholarship offers from programs all around the country.

3. Thrives on physicality

During the 2020 football season, Lukus displayed his speed by getting to offensive players quickly with no problem taking them down. Charles Power, a 247Sports national writer, described the Mauldin native as a “smooth, fluid mover in coverage.”

“(Lukus) shows the ability to play both press and off coverage,” he continued. “Uses his change of direction and feel for the position to stay in-phase with receivers on downfield routes. Has a level of physicality both at the line of scrimmage and as a tackler that is on the high end for rising junior cornerbacks.”

4. Chose Clemson over North Carolina, Ohio State

Lukus was one of Clemson’s top priorities as the Tigers look to continue the tradition of a dominant defense. The South Carolinian reciprocated the sentiment, putting Clemson in his final top three, along with the Tar Heels and Buckeyes. North Carolina did have an advantage with Lukus’ teammate and No. 13 prospect in the state, Deuce Caldwell, committing to the program on June 25. He also acknowledged that the Tar Heels’ program is on the rise with Mack Brown at the helm, which was also a selling point.

The proximity and longtime love for the Tigers won out in the end, though.

“I grew up like 45 minutes down the road, so I’ve been a Clemson fan like pretty much my whole life, too,” Lukus said during a June interview at the Rivals Five Star challenge. “Talking to coach Swinney, too, went to his house, had one-on-one conversations with him, he’s just amazing. You can see why they win so many games and why the program is where it’s at today.”

5. Lukus stayed busy in June

With COVID-19 restrictions being lifted, including the NCAA’s extended dead period, more and more normal activities resumed. As a result, Lukus had a packed June, making visits to schools and participating in camps. One unofficial visit was to Clemson.

Lukus reportedly attended the Tigers’ Elite Retreat on June 11-12 along with other recent commits like Pride and Everette. The week prior, he took an official visit to North Carolina.

He also made an impression at the Rivals Five Star Challenge, held in June in Atlanta, by winning the Sky High Vertical title with a 35.5-inch jump.

Five-star recruits under Dabo Swinney

• Tony Steward (2011)

• Sammy Watkins (2011)

• Stephone Anthony (2011)

• Deon Cain (2015)

• Mitch Hyatt (2015)

• Christian Wilkins (2015)

• Dexter Lawrence (2016)

• Tee Higgins (2017)

• Hunter Johnson (2017)

• Jackson Carman (2018)

• Trevor Lawrence (2018)

• Xavier Thomas (2018)

• K.J. Henry (2018)

• Derion Kendrick (2018)

• Andrew Booth (2019)

• Trenton Simpson (2020)

• Bryan Bresee (2020)

• Myles Murphy (2020)

• D.J. Uiagalelei (2020)

• Demarkcus Bowman (2020)

• Tristan Leigh (2021)

• Jeadyn Lukus (2022)*

* denotes not yet signed