The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1451622
2022 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 36 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2022 DARRIUS CLEMONS WIDE RECEIVER 6-3 • 205 WESTVIEW HIGH SCHOOL PORTLAND, ORE. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 113 22 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 76 13 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 191 31 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 92 16 1 ✪ ✪ ✪ ✪ 181 25 1 STATISTICS Year Rec. Yds. TD 2021 28 800+ 17 2020 38 817 10 2019 24 408 6 2018 4 107 0 HONORS • Helped Westview post a 9-2 re- cord as a senior and reach the second round of the Class 6A playoffs. • First team All-State selection at wide receiver as a senior per Oregon Live. • Earned invitations to participate in the Under Armour All-American Game and the All-American Bowl, but was not able to participate. • Selected first-team All-Metro and the Metro Offensive Player of the Year as a senior. • 2021 Metro League Conference Of- fensive Player of the Year. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Michigan Dec. 15, 2021. • Also held offers from Auburn, Ore- gon, Penn State, USC and Notre Dame. • Recruited by former offensive coor- dinator Josh Gattis and then-safeties coach Ron Bellamy, who will now mentor Clemons and the receivers. DID YOU KNOW? • Also had 231 return yards as a senior and two interceptions on de- fense. • Enrolled early at U-M. • Clemons' father, Larry, played wide receiver at the University of Florida. • Clemons is originally from the state of Michigan and is childhood friends with rising sophomore wide receiver Andrel Anthony. • Born April 9, 2003. "He had a fantastic trainer, and just bought into it. He went in to Michigan and put up 225 17 times. Those kind of numbers are pretty much off the charts for a freshman. That's pretty wild. That's a testament to his work ethic and how much he trains. He just loves the grind." "Last time we maxed out, benching, I think it was 365," Woods noted. "So you're a junior going into your senior year, a high school receiver, benching 365. That's unheard of." FLEXIBLE IN POSITION, VENUE Atkinson played Clemons on varsity as a freshman, his four catches in four games laying the foundation for the fu- ture. Clemons played quarterback in youth football, but made a good move to the other end of the completion spec- trum for high school. He made the jump to 24 catches for 408 yards and six touchdowns in six contests as a sophomore. Plus, he dem- onstrated the ability to do more than just catch the football, a must at West- view. "He was one of the most physical players," Atkinson assured. "There are a lot of cool things about Darrius, but one of the really positive things I saw was, he loves to block. We've got a saying in our program — 'No block, no rock' — and he just was physical. "That's what you need to run the ball and have a good offense. You've got to have receivers that want to not just catch it and get in the end zone, but do some of the dirty work, too. He was one of the best at it." Oregon athletes got blocked in a dif- ferent way as Clemons' junior season approached. COVID wiped out sports, leaving someone with a burning desire to play looking for a game. As always, the Clemons crew found a way. "We were going to go down to Miami, because I'm from Florida," Larry Clem- ons said. "We were looking at Florida and Georgia, but they didn't know if they were going to have football or not. "The only state that was a full go was Utah. I had a friend from Utah, his quarterback, actually, and his dad said, 'Hey, I've got a connection for a school. We'll go to Utah and play.' "Darrius goes, 'I don't care. I just want to play football. I'm willing to leave the state. I'm willing to go any- where. I just want to play football my junior year.' My wife and I, we packed up, took him over to Utah to play his junior year." That junior season — at Pleasant Grove High School — saw Clemons' numbers rise to 38 catches for 817 yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games. Then the family headed right back to Portland to finish up. C l e m o n s sco re d 17 to u c h d ow n s his senior season, including one that captured the attention of the nation. A closely guarded Clemons leaped up, extended his right arm to its full length and hauled in a one-handed grab that became the talk of the prep video cir- cuit. Dad missed this one — initially, any- way. "Man!" Larry Clemons exclaimed. "It was toward the end of the quarter, Dar- rius is running, and the quarterback just chucked the ball. I'm like, 'Oh, why are you throwing the ball! It's overthrown!' I put my head down. "Next thing I knew, the crowd erupts. Darrius goes up with one hand and pulls it down." Grind Time trainer Aaron Woods on Clemons "He is not the most naturally athletically gifted kid from the jump, but by far, hands down, he's the most committed and hard working." consensus 2022 Projection Michigan doesn't have a receiver on the roster with Clemons' size and speed combination. He stands 6-3 with a frame that's already filled out a good amount, plus has verified 4.37 speed, making him a danger- ous downfield threat. That size with that speed might be too tantalizing to leave off the field, and Clemons could quickly crack the rotation. The Wolverines had a big need for a big- bodied outside receiver this cycle, and Clemons fits that mold.