Dexter Lawrence to Clemson: Tigers Land 5-Star DT Prospect

Clemson is already giving fans a reason to look ahead to 2016 after signing one of the best front-seven stars in the country. 

Five-star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence committed to the Tigers on Monday, per Michael Clark of Scout.com.

According to 247Sports' composite rankings, Lawrence is the No. 2 DT in the 2016 recruiting class and the third-best player overall.

He was one of six defensive tackles named to the CBS Sports Network's All-American team of high school juniors in 2015, per Tom Lemming:

At 6'5" and 310 pounds, Lawrence is a massive presence on the defensive line. He'll quickly plug the holes inside against the run and use his strength to bull rush offensive linemen when rushing the passer.

Physically, Lawrence is exactly what coaches look for in a space-eater on the interior of the line. A few years into college, he might be able to diversify his game, which would help him maximize his full potential.

One of the things Lawrence will definitely need to work on is technique. He can sometimes be a little too reliant on his size, trying to just overpower his blocker.

Rivals.com's Mike Farrell posted a couple of Vines of Lawrence working against 5-star offensive tackle Josh Myers. Although they only offer brief snapshots, you can see how he can struggle to get his hands in place:

The speedy pass-rushers often get the most pub, but Ndamukong Suh, Gerald McCoy and, more recently, Danny Shelton illustrate how much damage a skilled defensive tackle can do.

The more attention an offensive line must pay to the inside, the more it frees up the guys outside to attack the quarterback.

Until he becomes a little more versatile, Lawrence should become a very good, rather than great, defensive tackle at the collegiate level. However, if he can iron out some of his flaws and supplement his size with a little more finesse, he's a potential All-American.

Recruit star ratings and rankings via 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.