DB Eugene Clifford - transfer to Tenn. St. (official thread)

[Honor&Glory]

Eugene Clifford


DB / RB / WR / PR
Cincinnati Colerain
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190 pounds
40-yard dash: 4.45 seconds
2005 stats (10/13): 5 Ints; 5 TD's (4 as WR, 1 as PR)

Scout Profile

Michigan Rivals - 10/13/05

Michigan is one of Gene's favorites; he attended the Minnesota game last weekend with teammate (and 2006 Michigan verbal) Cobrani Mixon. Clifford is also looking at Ohio, Notre Dame, Boston College, and a few others.

Originally Posted by wadc45

Rivals $

10/11/05

From the Michigan site...Cobrani reaffirms his committment to Michigan. Junior propect Eugene Clifford went with him on his last visit to Ann Arbor.

damn...I guess all of that talk I did in his ear about coming to Columbus with Tyler and Connor didn't do any good.

Oh, well...I gotta start working on Eugene right away! (not that there is much hope, though...Eugene grew up a fan of tsun)

btw...when will threads about 07 prospects start popping up? Clifford is the best football player on Colerain's team...I know that sounds freaky when you have a squad sending four seniors to B10 schools next year, but its the absolute truth..Eugene should walk into any school he goes to and start right away...he's a freak.

[OSUBucks22]

Originally Posted by Honor&Glory

Oh, well...I gotta start working on Eugene right away! (not that there is much hope, though...Eugene grew up a fan of tsun)

Do what you can H&G... We're already grateful for your help with Moeller and Smith.

[unionfutura]

Originally Posted by Honor&Glory

Oh, well...I gotta start working on Eugene right away! (not that there is much hope, though...Eugene grew up a fan of tsun)

From a good source; hope may be out the window since last summer.

[Holy Buckeye!]

Is this guy better than Moeller?

[strohs]

Originally Posted by Holy Buckeye!

Is this guy better than Moeller?

No scUM verbal is ever better than a Buckeye verbal

[BearBuck27]

Originally Posted by strohs

No scUM verbal is ever better than a Buckeye verbal

Very, very true.

I'm not going to pretend like I know these guys' games a whole lot because I don't I saw each of them play one game and that was against the Texas team. After watching that game, Moeller was clearly the better player. Mixon didn't play that well, it seemed at least. Moeller was flying absolutely everywhere and was a complete beast. My favorite play was when he somehow chased down the quarterback from behind for the sack, and when he hit him, his helmet flew off. That was awesome.

[westbuck04]

Originally Posted by unionfutura

From a good source; hope may be out the window since last summer.

scUM offered him before his junior year. Couple that with the fact that he is a scUM fan, and OSU has not shot, unfortunately. He is an absoulte STUD, though. Everytime I've seen him play, he's been arguably the most impressive player on the team...even when Terril Byrd was there.

[Honor&Glory]

Originally Posted by Holy Buckeye!

Is this guy better than Moeller?

apples and oranges.

Tyler is a bit undersized, but is fast, hits hard, smart and lives, sleeps, eats and dies for playing football...But Tyler is a LB.

Gene is 6-3, 215lbs...runs around a 4.4 to 4.5 40 and he is a safety/rb/wr...I think he may grow into a LB...If you have seen the Colerain v. Tyler Lee game he wears uniform number 1. His strength as a DB is that his cover skills are based on natural ability but he needs some coaching up in that department because he misjudges some deep balls. However, Gene loves contact and he is very willing to run up to the line and blast an o-lineman to get to a ball carier.

This year for Colerain, Gene has scored 3 TD's off of INT returns and he has returned one very long punt for a TD.

Based on athletic ability, it would be hard to give ANYBODY that nod over Tyler Moeller in that department..but I have to admit that Gene is just naturally gifted.

In terms of football presence and strength and awareness, the edge goes to Moeller...but this is Gene's Junior season..by next year he will be the best football player to ever come out of Colerain.

and to the person who posted that hope went out the window last summer: I believe in somebody's thread back in july, I posted that Gene had received an offer from tsun..but I wouldn't count him out, just yet. Gene is an impressionable young kid (aren't they all???) who just doesn't know anythng about OSU...YET. He's never been on campus and he doesn't know what our fans are like and how they support their team. I am willing to bet that if OSU could get Gene to Columbus, he could/would be blown away. So, I'll keep working the kid everytime I see him...because this kid (bold prediction coming) will be playing on Sundays in 5-6 years.

[ShakerBuck]

H&G-

Who will have a greater influence on Gene....

Conner & Tyler or Cobrani & Mister

granted I understand scUM has a big head start

[Honor&Glory]

Originally Posted by ShakerBuck

H&G-

Who will have a greater influence on Gene....

Conner & Tyler or Cobrani & Mister

granted I understand scUM has a big head start

Cobrani would be my guess...Mister is likely to transfer to UC next year which has been a rumor in the rumor forum for a while. scUM does have a head start which is why I think its important for Connor and Tyler and others **Cough...H&G...Cough** to see if they can get Gene to look at OSU...assuming OSU has interest. (which I am sure they do/will)

[BuckTwenty]

Originally Posted by Honor&Glory

apples and oranges.

Tyler is a bit undersized, but is fast, hits hard, smart and lives, sleeps, eats and dies for playing football...But Tyler is a LB.

Gene is 6-3, 215lbs...runs around a 4.4 to 4.5 40 and he is a safety/rb/wr...I think he may grow into a LB...If you have seen the Colerain v. Tyler Lee game he wears uniform number 1. His strength as a DB is that his cover skills are based on natural ability but he needs some coaching up in that department because he misjudges some deep balls. However, Gene loves contact and he is very willing to run up to the line and blast an o-lineman to get to a ball carier.

This year for Colerain, Gene has scored 3 TD's off of INT returns and he has returned one very long punt for a TD.

Based on athletic ability, it would be hard to give ANYBODY that nod over Tyler Moeller in that department..but I have to admit that Gene is just naturally gifted.

In terms of football presence and strength and awareness, the edge goes to Moeller...but this is Gene's Junior season..by next year he will be the best football player to ever come out of Colerain.

and to the person who posted that hope went out the window last summer: I believe in somebody's thread back in july, I posted that Gene had received an offer from tsun..but I wouldn't count him out, just yet. Gene is an impressionable young kid (aren't they all???) who just doesn't know anythng about OSU...YET. He's never been on campus and he doesn't know what our fans are like and how they support their team. I am willing to bet that if OSU could get Gene to Columbus, he could/would be blown away. So, I'll keep working the kid everytime I see him...because this kid (bold prediction coming) will be playing on Sundays in 5-6 years.

Ah ha! I was wondering what number he was. I can't remember what I said about him in the Colerain/Tyler Texas game thread, but I KNOW that I mentioned him. I thought both Pride (I believe? the QB) and Moeller had better games, but but he was next in line and was very impressive. He had one big play in particular... it was either a huge hit or an interception... maybe it was both! haha

Correct me if I'm wrong here H&G, but from what I've heard, seen, and know about Eugene, I would (unfortunately) compare him favorably to Prescott Burgess. Same sort of size and attributes, same sort of athleticism, almost same positions too (though not sure if Burgess was a KR/PR/WR)! Hopefully that comparison doesn't jinx us, because I would love to see this kid lining up for us.

Get this kid in S&G, H&G!!

[ShakerBuck]

Its gotta be damn near impossible to sway a kid from his childhood favorite to a bitter rival of that school unless the opportunity for the particular kid is waaaaay better.

I grew up a buckeye fan and went to tOSU. If i was a highly sought after D1 football prospect athlete, and had a choice to go to tOSU or scUM i can't imagine choosing scUM. over tOSU and turning the bucks into the bitter enemy. I know it happens, but it seems like it would be an uphill battle to sway anyone in this situation...unless depth chart situations were vastly different

[crazybuckfan40]

Originally Posted by ShakerBuck

Its gotta be damn near impossible to sway a kid from his childhood favorite to a bitter rival of that school unless the opportunity for the particular kid is waaaaay better.

I grew up a buckeye fan and went to tOSU. If i was a highly sought after D1 football prospect athlete, and had a choice to go to tOSU or scUM i can't imagine choosing scUM. over tOSU and turning the bucks into the bitter enemy. I know it happens, but it seems like it would be an uphill battle to sway anyone in this situation...unless depth chart situations were vastly different

Yeah, but some of us grow up diehards and some just grow up rooting for the team. I don't know exactally what type of fan Clifford is.

I also know there are alot more factors than who you grew up rooting for especially if the team you rooted for is oos.

Positives:
1. He will have two teammates here.
2. Distance(Home School) - big factor. Ann Arbor is about 2 more hours than columbus from Cincy.
3. One guy from his team is having a bad year up there and is probably going to transfer.
4. He hasnt been to Ohio stadium and experienced all the tradition. We can really wow him here.

Negatives:
1. Depth Chart - If we bring in Schwartz this year we are going to have quite a few safeties on our team.
2. He has really only been exposed to scUM as he attends their camp and has been to their stadium. Could be too much of a lead to overcome.

Well anyways I look forward to all the updates from H&G and hopefully he can sway him our way.

[Hodgepodge]

FWIW, Bucknuts had Clifford attending the Iowa game on an unofficial visit.

[Honor&Glory]

Originally Posted by BuckTwenty

Ah ha! I was wondering what number he was. I can't remember what I said about him in the Colerain/Tyler Texas game thread, but I KNOW that I mentioned him. I thought both Pride (I believe? the QB) and Moeller had better games, but but he was next in line and was very impressive. He had one big play in particular... it was either a huge hit or an interception... maybe it was both! haha

Correct me if I'm wrong here H&G, but from what I've heard, seen, and know about Eugene, I would (unfortunately) compare him favorably to Prescott Burgess. Same sort of size and attributes, same sort of athleticism, almost same positions too (though not sure if Burgess was a KR/PR/WR)! Hopefully that comparison doesn't jinx us, because I would love to see this kid lining up for us.

Get this kid in S&G, H&G!!

I would say that is a fair assesment. (Eugene had an INT in that Tyler Lee game and several big hits, btw) Eugene is a physical football player and I think its a bonus for somebody to be so gifted as an athlete and still love the contact.

also..after Colerain's game last night I couldn't catch up to Eugene but I finally tracked down some 'info' on him from reliable sources...

Eugene, right now, would like the opportunity to consider being a Florida Gator...but those close to him say he wants his mom to see him play every week and that travel will be a concern...fully expect this to become another OSU/tsun battle.



FYI...Gene picked off another pass last night and took it to the house.