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#98 Terrell Clinkscales |
Position: Defensive Line Previous Colleges: Grand Rapids (Mich.) Community College; Dodge City Community College Projection: Second-String Status: On Scholarship |
Terrell Clinkscales (b. June 9, 1992) is that best kind of recruit — one we stole from Nebraska late in the process.
"Right now, I feel like some things happened with Nebraska that I just didn't get the feeling that they cared if I got there. I just think K-State is the best place for me," the four-star defensive tackle said in this GoPowercat.com article.
"They kept telling me how much they wanted me and how they had plans for me to help their defense. Going to K-State will also give me the chance to grow up and mature better. The coaches there want to help you out more than just on the field."
It wasn't just Nebraska who wanted Clinkscales, either. This guy had offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia, Miami, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Texas Tech, among others.
Right now, Clinkscales is finishing up summer courses at Dodge City Community College, and although plenty of skeptics (mostly Huskers) think he won't make it, he remains optimistic about his chances of qualifying:
"I am in 21 credits right now. They are all going well. I failed a computer science class last semester. I passed 18 credits with a 2.6 GPA. I think I did well with all that was going on in the fall. I'll finish these classes this spring and then all I will need after the spring is over is an English II credit," he told GoPowercat.
At Dodge City, Clinkscales played one season for the Conquistadors under head coach Gary Thomas and was rated the nation's fourth-best junior college defensive tackle by ESPN.
He was a 2013 second-team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American and first-team All-Jayhawk Conference selection after recording 40 tackles, with 7.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks.
Clinkscales helped Dodge City to earn a 6-4 record and an appearance in the Valley of the Sun Bowl in Scottsdale, Ariz., which resulted in a No. 19 final national ranking. Watch Clinkscales' highlights here.
He was a teammate of fellow K-State signee Danzel McDaniel, who helped to convince Clinkscales to switch:
"Danzel been working on me a while. He didn't try to pressure me or anything. He would tell me things about K-State that he liked and he would tell me about the defense next year and the team overall. He never really pushed me too hard. He just let me make the decision," Clinkscales told GoPowercat.
During his freshman year at Grand Rapids Community College, Clinkscales played the 2011 season for the Raiders prior to the college's discontinuing the program. He saw time in six games, registering 13 tackles, including six for loss and four sacks, as he helped GRCC to finish with an 11-0 record and a No. 3 national ranking.
It does not appear he played anywhere in 2012, so I am assuming that counted as his redshirt season.
Little-known fact: Clinkscales matriculated at Proviso East High School in Mayfield, Jacob Pullen's alma mater, where he was named an All-West Suburban Conference performer as a senior for head coach Aaron Peppers.
Assuming he gets all his coursework done on time, Clinkscales should have an early adjustment period, like all late-arriving JUCO players tend to do. But the really talented ones usually end up on the two-deep somewhere.