SAF RJ Mickens of Southlake, TX was back at Clemson Saturday for the junior day, and he brought his mom with him. It was Micken’s fourth visit to Clemson and won’t be his last. Mickens, the son of former NFL defensive back Ray Mickens, said this visit gave him his first chance to see Clemson coaches doing their thing in a practice setting.
“I thought it was nice. This was like my fourth time going there so I can be comfortable talking with the coaches,” Mickens said. “This was my first time seeing a practice, so I got the behind the scenes look at coach Conn, coach Reed and coach Dabo. They play a lot of different types of coverages. It’s a very multiple defense. In practices, of course they are going up against some of the best receivers and the best quarterback.”
Mickens is a nationally regarded prospect with offers from the best of the Power 5 programs. He plans to release a top list of 11-12 schools in a couple of weeks and Clemson has secured its place in that group.
“They’ve got top ten facilities and top ten coaches,” Mickens said. “They don’t always recruit the highest rated, but more so like the highest character. They want character, too, and high rated. It’s more than just about getting a top person with a bad attitude. I just like the atmosphere of the people there. They are one of my top schools, if not the top. I like Clemson a lot. I look forward to making a decision soon. Clemson is definitely high up there on that list.”
Mickens had shoulder surgery in January and thus his travel has been limited. Clemson has been his only visit of the spring thus far. He picked up recent offers from Ole Miss, Miami and Penn State.
He has no timetable on a decision and one, he said, could come anywhere from the next two weeks until the end of summer. He does plan to graduate early. And he said he might take some early visits from the list he drops in a couple of weeks.
