Coach says Clemson transfer portal target Keylan Rutledge is tough, isn't chasing NIL

Rutledge is visiting Clemson this weekend.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Fri Dec 08 14:19:28 GMT-04:00 2023

Clemson is hosting a top transfer portal offensive lineman this weekend, and his former coach has nothing but praise for the player.

Former Middle Tennessee standout Keylan Rutledge entered the portal recently after playing in 22 games over two seasons with the Blue Raiders. Voted a permanent team captain while still a sophomore speaks highly of the 6-4, 308-pounder, but Rick Stockstill has even more praise for Rutledge.

Stockstill, who knows Clemson well and was recently let go by Middle Tennessee, had nothing but praise for Rutledge.

“You don't have enough ink to write about him. He's phenomenal. He's a phenomenal young man with a tremendous work ethic. He's tougher than boot leather,” Stockstill told TigerNet. “He's got a great competitive spirit. He's an extremely good athlete. He's a really good high school basketball player. Good basketball player here shooting around, all that stuff.

“And he can throw the ball. He's a really good athlete. He’s athletic, and he can run. He's strong. He's got all the physical traits that you're looking for. And I'm sure everybody needs a good guy in the locker room, and he'll be a phenomenal teammate. He was a captain for us. He'll be a great teammate.”

Middle Tennessee opened the season with back-to-back games against two SEC teams, and Rutledge held his own and more.

“He blocked those guys. We opened up with Alabama and Missouri, two top 10 teams, and he blocked those guys,” Stockstill said. “And so I think, I don't think, I know. I know he can play at that level. I think the world of him, he's got all the intangibles that you're looking for off the field. And then he's got the athletic ability to do it on the field.”

Stockstill said he knew Rutledge had potential during the recruiting process.

“Any time you take somebody, you're going to look at the complete package. And just a great family. He said, yes, sir. No, sir. Yes, ma'am. No, ma'am. That kind of guy,” Stockstill said. “He treats everybody with respect. And he had Power 5 guys sniffing, but nobody ever pulled the trigger, which is why we got him. We're never going to beat a Power 5 guy on somebody.

“So, they were sniffing around but never pulled the trigger. The other Group of Five guys were far away, school away, geographically. So we're a couple or three hours away, and it was a good fit. Obviously, we had a need. He played the first couple of games this freshman year, and then we were going to redshirt him. Our guard either got hurt or wasn't doing as good, and we realized that Keylan was better and ended up playing him the last, he started the last six or seven games that freshman year. And then obviously started all games this year.”

Stockstill had another thing to say about Rutledge, and it concerned players chasing dollars in the portal.

“Yeah, he's not an NIL guy. I mean, he's not one of those guys that are going to say, Georgia Tech, you give me $25,000, and Clemson, you give me $30,000, and I'll come. He's not that guy,” Stockstill said. “He's all school and ball. And he doesn't have his hand out like 95 % of these portal guys do.”