Trayvon Mullen to Clemson: Tigers Land 4-Star CB Prospect

Trayvon Mullen is one of the top cornerbacks in the 2016 recruiting class and will be taking his immense talents to the Clemson Tigers.

According to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports, Mullen chose Clemson from a slew of top programs that had been pursuing the Florida native. 

In an era with more high-powered offenses, a top-flight cornerback has more value than ever. Mullen is one of the most valuable assets in this year's recruiting class, with 247 Sports listing him as a 4-star prospect and the No. 6 cornerback overall. 

The thing that immediately stands out about Mullen is his size. He's listed at 6'1", which is not typical for a defensive back unless you play for the Seattle Seahawks. He's long and rangy, and capable of recovering quickly because his arms and legs can eat up a lot of space. 

As so many young athletes do, Mullen took to Twitter in April to list his top 10 schools and others that were still in the mix:

When discussing that list with Gerry Hamilton of ESPN, Mullen said he put Florida State at the top because he felt it provided him the best opportunity to make an immediate impact.

"FSU is my leader. It’s just the opportunity at FSU," Mullen said. "The opportunity to play right away, maybe start and be a standout in the secondary early."

With a list of contenders that included the likes of Florida State, LSU and Ohio State, Mullen wasn't going to waste this chance to hear the best pitch from everyone. These programs are the most powerful in all of college football, brimming with talent on both sides of the ball, and the 17-year-old wants to be part of the mix.  

Things continue to look up for Clemson after the program's most successful season since winning the 1981 national championship. Head coach Dabo Swinney continues to stockpile elite talent every year, with the Tigers ranking sixth in 247Sports' national recruiting rankings for 2016. 

The Tigers' 2015 season ended in heartbreak against Alabama in the College Football Playoff National Championship, but that was just the beginning of what appears to be a long, sustained run of success for this program. 

Mullen doesn't have to come into Clemson as the program's savior, but he can be a key piece to a puzzle that the Tigers believe will result in a national championship very soon. 

Now the real test for Mullen begins. He's gotten a lot of hype coming out of high school, and deservedly so. Taking the leap to one of the best programs in the country brings with it a lot of pressure, but the physical attributes are all in place for this young man to emerge as a superstar before his college career is done.