6. Justin Foster
Advantage: Clemson
The No. 1 recruit in North Carolina is four-star linebacker Justin Foster. In May, the stocky linebacker named Tennessee and Clemson his top two in no particular order. Kentucky, Stanford, Alabama, Notre Dame and Georgia remain on the outside looking in. Since then, his recruitment has quieted down.
Foster has mentioned his admiration of Josh Dobbs, hoping to balance football and engineering similar to the Vols quarterback. However, the Tigers were his first offer and the team he grew up watching because of family ties. He’s visited both schools multiple times. He supposedly prefers coach Bob Shoop’s plan for him at a true linebacker position, while Clemson sees him as more of a DE/LB hybrid.
A linebacker haul of both recent-commit Jaquan Henderson along with Foster would put the position in very good shape for the Tennessee’s near future. Foster hopes to make a decision at the beginning of August in order to enroll early. I’m giving Clemson the advantage, but this one is pretty much dead even.
