Clemson landed one of the top prospects in the state of Texas on Saturday with ESPN Junior 300 safety R.J. Mickens. The No. 58-ranked recruit overall, Mickens chose the Tigers over Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Ohio State and plenty of other top programs.
At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Pickens is the No. 6-ranked prospect in Texas and adds to Clemson's excellent defensive recruiting over the past few classes.
He is the fourth ESPN Jr. 300 commit in the 2020 class and gives Clemson 12 defensive commitments ranked in the top 300 between the 2019 and 2020 classes.
Mickens' commitment also gives the Tigers nine ESPN Jr. 300 commitments in this 2020 class, which is tied with LSU for second-most, two behind Alabama.