Albert Huggins to Clemson: Tigers Land 4-Star DT Prospect

Clemson has landed coveted defensive line prospect Albert Huggins following a recruiting battle that featured plenty of competition and few initial hints as to which way the talented recruit was leaning.

Ryan Bartow of 247Sports passed along the news:

"

As expected, longtime lean Albert Huggins commits to #Clemson. http://t.co/KWrKuMUvAC @Clemson247 @jcshurburtt @Mansell247 @SWiltfong247

— Ryan Bartow (@RyanBartow) December 12, 2014"

Huggins is rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports' composite ratings. The rankings list him as the No. 78 overall recruit nationally for the class of 2015, the 12th-best defensive tackle available and the No. 1 player coming out of the state of South Carolina.

The outlet notes more than 20 programs from around the nation showed interest in Huggins during his recruitment. Several of them were strong contenders throughout the process, as the potential impact defender remained open about multiple possibilities.

That didn't come as a surprise. When interest in him really began to pick up last summer, he spoke with Dwayne McLemore of GoGamecocks.com about keeping an open mind as every program made its pitch.

"I try to keep an open mind about all the recruiting process and let everybody try to win me over so I can give everybody a chance," he said.

He stuck to that plan as more interested coaching staffs came forward before finally making his decision about where to continue his football career.

Although listed as a defensive tackle, Huggins has also shown the versatility necessary to shift outside to end. He's actually built more like a new-age edge-rusher (6'3'', 279 lbs) right now but possesses the strength and quickness necessary to succeed on the interior, too.

It will probably take a couple years of development at the collegiate level before it's determined where he'll stick for the long haul.

In the short term, that versatility should bode well for his chances of breaking the defensive line rotation sooner rather than later.

Ultimately, the high amount of interest from around the country—including many of the marquee programs—shows coaching staffs believe Huggins has a bright future. It just comes down to finding the perfect role for him to excel in.

He certainly has the skill set necessary to make a pretty quick impact. Once he gains some experience against tougher competition and improves his technique, he should develop into a key piece of the defensive line by the time he's an upperclassman.

That's a long way into the future, though. For now, Huggins just needs to focus on making a positive first impression.