Justin Foster to Clemson: Tigers Land 4-Star OLB Prospect

Class of 2017 4-star linebacker recruit Justin Foster announced Monday that he has committed to the Clemson Tigers, according to Alan Ford of the Shelby Star.

The Shelby Star's Gabe Whisnant shared a clip of Foster's announcement:

Out of Crest High School in Shelby, North Carolina, Foster is the No. 1 linebacker coming out of the state and the 16th-rated outside linebacker in the nation, according to Scout's prospect rankings. Of all recruits at all positions, Foster is 199th nationally. 

At 6'3", 245 pounds, Foster has great closing speed that can get him into the backfield quickly from wherever he is rushing, with 247Sports listing his 40-yard-dash time at 4.60 seconds.

He's a strong tackler and has shown promising vision on the field when it comes to diagnosing plays. That kind of ability is vital for an outside linebacker who has to decipher when he has to head into the flat in coverage or try to make his way into the backfield. 

Foster had CBS Sports' Tom Lemming singing his praises during his junior season both on and off the field: 

It's that kind of speed and agility Clemson is going to welcome with open arms in 2017. 

This is a move that has been in the cards for some time. During his junior season, Foster spoke with 247Sports' Steve Wiltfong about Clemson after a visit. 

"It was a pretty long day," Foster said. "I've been there so many times, I pretty much saw everything before. But what stood out to me was Coach [Dabo] Swinney was around the whole time and pretty much showed us how he really is and that he is a man of his word."

Foster is joining one of the best defenses in the nation that helped carry the Tigers to the national championship game after the 2015 season. 

It's also one of the best sacking groups in the league. Expect Foster to be busy with the Tigers, a team that can throw a variety of blitzes, once he takes the field.

Stats courtesy of NCAA.com. Star rankings courtesy of Scout.