Previously: Last year’s profiles. S Damani Dent, S/Nk Zeke Berry, S/HSP Keon Sabb, CB Myles Pollard, CB/Nk Kody Jones, CB Will Johnson, LB Deuce Spurlock, LB Jimmy Rolder, DE/LB Micah Pollard, DE Derrick Moore, DT Mason Graham, DT Kenneth Grant, DT Cam Goode, T Andrew Gentry, T/G Connor Jones, G Alessandro Lorenzetti, C Olu Oluwatimi, TE Marlin Klein, TE Colston Loveland, WR Amorion Walker, WR Tyler Morris.

Portland, Ore. – 6'3"/205
[Patrick Barron]		247: 6'3/205             4.27*	4*, 93, #182 overall #32 WR, #1 OR
		Rivals: 6'4/210             4.47*	4*, 5.9, #93 overall #17 WR, #1 OR
		ESPN: 6'3/195             4.34*	4*, 82, #22 West, #182 ovr #25 WR, #1 OR
		On3: 6'3/205             4.68*	4*, 96, #76 overall #13 WR, #1 OR
		Composite:             4.42*	4*, 0.9422, #144 ovr #24 WR, #1 OR
		Other Suitors	Aub, YTM, Oregon, PSU
		YMRMFSPA	Braylon Edwards
Previously On MGoBlog	Hello by Alex Drain.
Notes	AA Bowl. WR MVP of NPCIS.
Film:
Senior Highlights: Hudl. Half of Jr year in Utah.

The recruiting momentum of beating Ohio State, winning the Big Ten, and making the playoffs could not have been halted better. One morning we all woke to find Harbaugh so interested in the NFL he was willing to ride with Kirk Cousins over Cade and JJ McCarthy. Josh Gattis was so stunned he slipped out the side door to Coral Gables. Harbaugh returned, the receiver room got future Michigan head coach Ron Bellamy in consolation, and they gave the fans a televised, competitive spring game.

But a lot of Michigan fans were, and remain livid about the whole affair. "What," they asked, "do we get for 2021 now?" The question is a fair one, but there is an answer. Unsubtle as only Jim Harbaugh trying to be subtle can be, Michigan put a circle on their answer, then spent the whole spring game trying to shoving it in your face.

Not everyone was buying it, and not everyone was aware of the plan—looking at you, DJ Turner and Jalen Perry. Desperate to get the message across, Harbaugh dispatched his best hype man and the shortest, slowest, whitest cornerback on the roster, then took a selfie.

This. This was the reward.

---------------------

You coulda just taken US 23

As surprised as we all were that Harbaugh wanted to ride a win over Ohihttps://www.on3.com/teams/michigan-wolverines/news/michigan/o State back to the pros, Clemons's dad told Sam Webb that Michigan's coach had already made that plain during his recruitment:

“He said that he'll entertain (it),” Clemons’ father Larry told The Michigan Insider. “He was up front with us about that. I had Coach Harbaugh speak to my pastor. They had a good conversation. Our pastor asked him about that, and that's just that's the (reply) that he gave him.”

That recruitment had a lot of twists, and travels. Clemons lived in East Lansing until he was ten, where he was childhood best friends with Andrel Anthony. By the time this son of former Spurrier-era Florida star Larry Clemons, was on radars the Clemonses had already moved to Portland and let everyone know that location didn't matter (but education did), with Penn State and Oregon feeling most confident. During the pandemic he moved to Utah to have a fall season, then back to Oregon, which was planning to play in spring.

Meanwhile, Michigan's 2-4 season put them out of the race. They kept at it, especially when they hired Ron Bellamy, who was initially going to be the receivers coach. A month away from Signing Day Auburn was charging. Then it was Miami, who stole Oregon's momentum with their hire of Mario Cristobal, and where Clemons had more family.

It's hard not to correlate Michigan's late surge, including securing his final official visit, with slaying the dragon and reaping the confetti. Clemons, after echoing the program's "40-year plan" catchphrase, didn't deny it.

“Playing football is a lot more fun when you’re winning and them being in the college football playoff helped.”

It also helped that Clemons signed here before Gattis joined Cristobal in Miami, though Clemons says Bellamy was the key the whole way. I wonder if throwing him deep shots all spring game until he came down with one was meant to be something of a consolation to losing his position coach already. If you ask him he'd probably say it was.

I see we're all just going to ignore Cornelius Johnson.

There isn't much subtlety to Darrius Clemons, the prospect. He is big, and he runs really fast, and that is a problem for singled-up cornerbacks.

• Charles Power, On3: "Possesses one of the best combinations of size and long speed among top receiver prospects in the 2022 cycle."
• Adam Gorney, Rivals: "Showed surprising speed for his size."
• Touch the Banner: "He has great acceleration off the line of scrimmage, which can’t always be said about bigger receivers. He’s a long strider with very good top-end speed."
• EJ Holland, The Wolverine: "A bigger bodied prospect that can stretch the field."
• Chris Balas, The Wolverine: "He’s got another gear, and with the size component he has been a tough cover for all the Michigan defensive backs."
• Ryan Snyder, NittanyNation: "You won't find many players who run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3 and more than 200 pounds."
• Brandon Justice, Rivals: "impossible to miss at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, and with blazing speed."
• College Football Saturdays: "big receiver who has the downfield speed to stretch the defense"
• Alex Drain, here: "It's not often you can add a 6'3"/6'4" receiver who runs a 4.37 forty to your recruiting class …  in terms of the raw athleticism and size, Clemons is a rare prospect.

247's Brandon Huffman comped Clemons to Allen Robinson, who is really fast and big.  Each added that Michigan hasn't had a field-stretcher like that on campus since Nico. Darrius's dad said this was a part of his consideration in recruitment:

I came out of (the Michigan visit saying), ‘they don't have a receiver with his body in the room right now.’ His physical build and where he's at right now with his height, his size, and his physique… they compared him a lot to Nico Collins.”

On3's Tim Verghese (video) also said Clemons

…gives them something on the roster they don't currently have in a guy who can stretch the field but also out-jump you for the ball. He's going to high-point the ball and beat you for it eight times out of ten.

Those characteristics made him a too-obvious 4-star, "too" because it meant there was little actual scouting that came out of his many, many mentions, as Clemons boringly outpaced his Oregon, Utah, camp, and 7v7 competition. To On3 that means a top-100 player, though they dropped him 25 spots in the last re-rank. Charles Power said Clemons…

Was hand-timed in the 4.3's at 6-foot-3, 200 pounds prior to his junior season. A natural field-stretcher who bursts off the ball, quickly eating cornerbacks' cushions. Long-strider who covers ground with his vertical speed.

His comparison is former LSU star DJ Chark, because Clemons is "a tall, high-cut receiver with the sub 4.4 speed to present a vertical threat. .

Clemons has good burst and speed, especially for a player of his size. He routinely beats defenders downfield and is able to get behind the defense. Clemons picks up speed quickly and is tough to catch once he is at full speed. He is solid laterally but should continue to improve his agility.

He also earned invites to both All-American bowls. Harbaugh included Clemons in the "freak show."

How big?

247's Blair Angulo was more taken away by Clemons's face-sitting potential:

From a physical standpoint, Clemons flashes all the frame upside that you see from big-time pass catchers at the next level and beyond. He is strong, quick for his size and has the straight-line speed to constantly keep corners on their heels. Clemons is very good over the middle of the field, too, and has flashed as a true playmaker with the ball in his hands, looking like a threat to reach the end zone once he's in space.

Power seemed to think Clemons could get into the 215-220 range, while Verghese saw "ample room for him to grow."

Rivals Adam Gorney said Clemons "outmuscled talented defensive backs" at the 7v7 championships. Touch the Banner described a "tall, thick fast athlete" whose big frame should make him a plus blocker. That, I should add, is already evident on the (junior) tape.

College Football Saturdays has started putting out 4- and 5-star scouting for QBs, WRs, and CBs, and Clemons rated as a "big receiver":

He has the height to be a mismatch on the outside and is already filling out well. Clemons is an imposing presence on the outside and can overpower defensive backs. His size will create match-up problems for defenses on a weekly basis.

His teammates saw it as he stepped on campus. Blake Corum called Clemons "big, tall, muscled up" and Cade McNamara made similar comments. It's all something Darrius's father, Larry Clemons, was preparing us for.

“He's coming in squatting over 400 pounds and benching over 300 pounds, so he's physically ready,” Mr. Clemons said confidently.” And I think he's going to come in (and compete). He'll work his butt off.”

How fast?

At first, nobody thought Clemons was going to be more of a Marquise Walker who doesn't get much separation, and doesn't need to. After the 2019 season, Oregon writer Erik Skopul said he "won't be mistaken for a burner" and "doesn't always separate well."

That was, like, a whole pandemic ago. Come the summer of 2020, after putting up a pair of 4.42s, Clemons ran a laser-timed 4.37 at MVP combine. There is video, in case you're a skeptical blogger who calls all forty times fake (NSFW word at the end):

This boy @DarriusClemons just ran 4.37 laser @BrandonHuffman @GregBiggins pic.twitter.com/vrLIAW37z4

— Houston Lillard (@flyguyhuey5) July 18, 2020

Unfortunately Clemons tested positive at the start of the All-American Bowl week, which meant nobody got to put him on the clock again. But it showed on film, e.g. when he gained 167 yards and 3 TDs on three touches (video). Of his Utah season, Angulo said Clemons had "done well to show off his down-field burst over over-matched defensive backs."

On3's Tim Verghese was all about Clemons before either was all about Michigan:

I mean, just look at the measurables paired with the speed, paired with the body…of work that's on film.  But 4.37 speed at his size—he doesn't look 4.37 because he's such a long strider. I think a good comparison for him really is just a bigger, faster Nico Collins as crazy as it sounds. They're going to play a similar role.

Adam Gorney of Rivals framed Clemons's "ability to stretch the field or take a short pass and make people miss" as the reason he quickly wracked up 658 yards after transferring to a school in Utah despite working in a new system with a new quarterback. And CFB Saturdays had the most to say about the speed before and after the catch:

Clemons has good burst and speed, especially for a player of his size. He routinely beats defenders downfield and is able to get behind the defense. Clemons picks up speed quickly and is tough to catch once he is at full speed. He is solid laterally but should continue to improve his agility.

Clemons combination of size and speed make him tough for defenders to tackle after the catch. He is not a particularly elusive runner with the ball, though he can make a defender miss and can run through tackles. Clemons takes advantage of the space in the defense and is able to make the defense pay with his speed.

Yes, this could be lifted verbatim from a Cornelius Johnson scouting report, but they keep saying Michigan doesn't have a guy like that on the roster. Well, nearly all of them. Touch the Banner:

After initially thinking he would be a solid top-200 prospect, I now … agree more with On3/Rivals [top-100] than ESPN/247 [182nd overall]. Much like what we see with Cornelius Johnson in 2021 (if he’s singled up with no one over the top, take a shot), Clemons is that type of guy who’s really going to stress a defense. Most teams won’t have a guy who can handle Clemons one-on-one.

He gave Clemons an 88 score, one of the highest in the class.

How catch everything-y?

Before the blazing 40 time, the guy was known as a contested baller. Clemons first came to our attention after a Michigan State camp in 2019 when he and his buddy Andrel Anthony were trying to out-Braylon each other. SpartanMag's Jim Comparoni said Clemons won in the 7v7 portion as "Clemons showed he could stretch the field and use his excellent leaping ability to high-point the ball" and equaled his "cousin" in testing.

Anthony and Clemons each posted terrific clockings in the 40-yard dash and tested extremely well in the vertical jump and broad jump (their figures are not released by Michigan State). Then they played with gifted smoothness and fundamental sharpness during wide receiver drills and 7-on-7 work.

…while Anthony stood out for his ability to cut off routes underneath. Years later, while noting the Portland-caliber competition, Gorney first noticed the "excellent hands, he wins 50-50 balls."

The catching was the thing that stood out on his sophomore film, enough that Skopul thought him a highly valuable possession receiver before any speed came online.

Dropping passes will never be an issue for Clemons. He's got some of the better mitts you'll see on a high school tape. That's a deadly combination when you consider that he's 6-foot-3 with good leaping ability.

Brandon Huffman of 247's overview didn't even mention speed unless it's part of the separation:

Has terrific body control and ability to adjust to all passes, both low and high, with strong hands able to catch everything in traffic. Polished route runner with ability to catch passes in tight spaces. Tough over the middle. Consistently gets separation.

And Blake Corum told reporters "that's what a receiver should look like" when Clemons stepped on campus:

“In the weight room, he was putting some crazy numbers up — vertical jump, broad jump, bench. I was like, ‘I can't wait to see him put on pads,’ and when he put on the pads, it was no disappointment. He goes up and gets the ball, smooth routes, he's clean.”

While McNamara mentioned "strong hands." Touch the Banner noted he "catches the ball well with his hands away from his body" on film. On3's Power noted Clemons is "capable of making some acrobatic one-handed grabs and tracks the ball well," but warned he "can let the ball get into his body at times." The c

has that “catch radius” head coach Jim Harbaugh always talks about. If it’s close, he’s getting it.

CFB Saturdays praised the "strong hands and excellent catch radius" too but expounded:

He tracks the ball well and is physical in contested situations. He has good concentration and body control, displaying the ability to adjust to the ball and make difficult catches. Clemons uses his size well to compete for the ball and does a good job of winning on jump balls.

How Routey?

Clemons has played a lot of football and paired with a lot of different quarterbacks, so it might not be fair to judge his tape with that of, say, Tyler Morris and his JJ McCarthy brain-share. Still, the routes need improvement says Magnus:

…and he may have to adjust his releases off the line of scrimmage. It seemed teams did not want to press him because they didn’t have anyone able to handle him physically, but that just allowed him to get up to full speed quicker. College teams are going to put someone in his face at times and try to challenge him, so he will have to deal with that.

On3's Verghese went deeper into the Chark comparison in describing what Clemons does and doesn't do well after the snap.

Chark is a bit more violent and explosive coming out of breaks and at the top of the route, while Clemons is a bit more smooth as a route runner.

CFB Saturdays saw a "variety of routes" in all that tape, and thought he could "get open all over the field" but that might just go back to big guy go zoominess:

His speed and size are difficult to match-up with downfield and open up space for him to work underneath the coverage. Clemons does a good job of breaking off underneath routes and taking advantage of the open space in the secondary. He can still get better out of his breaks, which will help him continue to separate at the next level.

In this space, Alex Drain thought Clemons "could develop cleaner breaks and better techniques."

Playing early?

Whether or not he came down with one, the simple fact that Michigan sent 10 targets, most of them bombs, at Clemons in the spring game has to mean his stock is up. That he turned those into 3 catches for 52 yards shows he's got a lot of development to do, unless Jalen Perry is going to be doing that to everybody this year. Michigan also gave him an end-around and had him throw one of their many trick play passes.

Insiders were presaging this all spring. Balas said he "turned heads" after one practice and was beating the drum after a few more, and was hopping off his seat by game time:

We’ve heard everything from “definitely top three guy” to “they can’t cover him – he’s five yards behind guys a lot of the time.” And yeah, that’s a lot of hype for a frosh. Some close to it have said “slow down” to the hype, but it’s clear this guy is a different kind of dude at the position.

My friend Sam Webb has a tendency sometimes to let what the coaches are telling him about a guy spill:

I thought Darrius Clemons really showed you why he’s a legit threat to be in the rotation. He got on top of defensive backs with speed … Then he's such a big target... the biggest they have. It's a lot to expect him to jump over all those guys, but someone who at the very least get his number called on some of those fade balls.”

However, Steve Lorenz, who also talks to the coaches, put Clemons all the way down at #8 on this year's impact freshmen, only because of the depth, then joined in the chorus:

does have the potential to offer them something different than they have as far as a filled-out physical specimen.

Etc. Andrel was right.Trainer is Aaron Woods of Grind Time. Gorney's "Books & Ball Award" for academic athlete of the class. Majoring in economics. Likes cooking (this gives me an NIL idea…)

Why Braylon Edwards? Again, remember this is an "if he works out" comparison, not a "this is what he is" thing. The program itself says I can't take Cornelius Johnson even though he's the most obvious comparison. I already used up Nico this cycle for Amorion Walker.

So let's go all the way. I mean, instant size/speed/hops matchup problem who's a tiny bit stiff but makes highlight reel catches and fields punts. Bray was very tall, very hoppy (took 2nd in the high jump at States in high school), and extremely fast, putting up a 4.38 at Michigan's pro day. Even before he went bonkers as a sophomore, Braylon was the chatter of practice. Braylon even generated the same disagreement about his hands between those who saw the highlight reels versus those who saw that and the routine comebacks that slipped out.

I thought about Jehu Chesson or the similar Adrian Arrington but those guys had "good" speed not "he gone" speed. Tai Streets is too far back in history but had the same insane speed (third-best forty at the combine) and size (6'2"/194) combination.

Note: I'm making a player comparison, not a stats one—no offense to certain people reading this but I'm sure Ron Bellamy would agree his room today is a lot more talented than when he was an upperclassman.

Guru Reliability: Medium. They saw him a lot, but Oregon (excepting Erik Skopil), Auburn, and Penn State recruiting media are the three worst in college football at jumping into "Where are you going, little man?" reporting without providing any football-relevant information. He went to but didn't participate at the Oregon camp where Damani Dent blew up. His game tape was all against Oregon and Utah competition. The sites were waiting for his All-American practices to think about a five-star, and the two that have him lower dropped him when he came down with COVID.

Variance: Medium. The most immediately playable of their offensive recruits, obvious role is obvious, doesn't need to grow that much, so Clemons has a pretty high floor as a field stretcher (think Darryl Stonum). Becoming more is going to take a lot of route development. In spring he looked tantalizing but at least a year away from having a major impact.

Ceiling: Braylon.

General Excitement Level: Very high. I'm ga ga for this receiver class.

Projection: Like Braylon, the first year is going to be kind of a disappointment, though there ought to be enough garbage time to surpass Edwards's 3 catches for 38 yards in six games. Spiritually similar though: Clemons is going to burn his redshirt blocking and playing special teams, perhaps taking a few reps as a returner when AJ Henning is resting.

I am guessing Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson are leaving after this year, and Roman Wilson could very easily play himself into a departure as well. Say Michigan loses two of those three, and the remainder plus Andrel Anthony are your top two outside targets. Clemons appears to be the next guy right now, meaning by next year he's probably either rotating with Roman Wilson as the deep threat, or he is Michigan's #1 deep threat. By 2024, he's one of the stars of the team and their punt returner, not because of his after-the-catch wiggle so much as his DPJ-like ability to get to the ball. His last season at Michigan crests 1,000 yards.

For you young'uns, this is what it looks like: