Clemson offering Alabama players a package deal

The Tigers' coaches have extended a scholarship offer to four Benjamin Russell High School prospects, according to one of the prospects, Michael Goggans.

Goggans said that the proposal includes scholarship offers to defensive end Demetrius Culpepper, linebacker LaBronski Hutchins, quarterback Martevious Young and Goggans, who plays tight end and defensive end.

Culpepper, Hutchins and Goggans are bona fide SEC prospects. They have already received a handful of scholarship offers from SEC schools, including Tennessee.

College coaches don't seem as sure about Young. He said he has received scholarship offers from Clemson and Louisville. UT is still evaluating him.

Young admits that Clemson's proposal is enticing even before he has visited the campus of the ACC school. Young visited UT last week as part of the Vols senior camp.

"I think it's a pretty good school with nice facilities," Young said.

Young, who is 6-foot-2 and 170 pounds said most schools are recruiting him as a quarterback, which is his preference.

"With his size, I think the Tennessee coaches told him he needs to gain a little weight and work on his speed a little bit," Goggans said. "I don't know how that situation sits with him and Tennessee."

Goggans, the highest rated prospect of the quartet, said his interest in Clemson has waned despite the possible package deal. Still, the prospect of playing with three of his high school teammates from Alexander City, Ala., is enticing.

"I'll look at it, but I think I'll choose the school that fits me the best," Goggans said. "If it were to come down to the coaches offering (Young), Culpepper, Hutchins and me as a packaged deal to Tennessee, I believe that's where all of us will go because Tennessee is pretty high on their list, too.

"(Clemson head coach) Tommy Bowden called down here and gave us a package deal. We were considering that. That would be great for all of us to go to the same school. We talk about it a lot. But I don't know right now. Tennessee is recruiting me pretty hard. They've been on top for a while and I think I'm going to keep them there."