Clemson signee analysis: 4-star WR Ronan Hanafin

Clemson signed 4-star WR Ronan Hanafin out of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

by TigerNet Staff - Wed Dec 21 07:17:47 GMT-04:00 2022

Ronan Hanafin - Wide Receiver
TigerNet: (4.64)

Height: 6-3 Weight: 210 Hometown: Cambridge, MA (Buckingham Browne & Nichols School HS) Class: 2023

ESPN:

#35 ATH, #6 MA

Rivals:

#9 ATH, #5 MA

24/7:

#218 Overall, #13 ATH, #5 MA

Clemson signed a 4-star wide receiver out of Massachusetts early this week.

More on Buckingham Browne and Nichols School (Ma.) wide receiver Ronan Hanafin…

Signee analysis: Ronan Hanafin - 4-star WR - Cambridge, Ma.

Committed since: 8/14/22.

Listed size: 6-3 210.

Notable: Other notable reported offers before committing to Clemson were Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, USC and Wisconsin among more FBS offers.

Tyler Grisham on Hanafin: "I'm excited about Ronan and really what I'll say will be echoed multiple times with this class of receivers, first thing first, he is a great young man. Having a young man like this coming to your program will help us sustain success because he's about the right stuff...It really is impressive to see a bigger-body guy play with fluidity, confidence using his hands and having a nose for the end zone."

Quotable: “Verified frame with skill set that offers position versatility. Can be a big-framed receiver, safety or linebacker. Multi-sport background includes playing LSM in lacrosse. Can add 20 pounds to frame if needed depending on positioning. Shows speed on tape but does not have verified times. Ran hand held 4.4s at team camps in summer of '21. Athleticism shows in big way in lacrosse because of need to change direction, accelerate and run as LSM. Produces in all three phases in high school. Physical whether playing receiver or defense. As receiver, gets off line and into route quickly. Does not waste movement. Tracks ball well and shows body control and understanding of body positioning against smaller defensive backs. Reliable hands and willing to catch ball in traffic. Shows YAC ability. Best suited to line up wide. Willing and capable blocker on edge. On defensive side, offers intrigue as safety, linebacker or hybrid because of instincts, closing speed and body control to make open field tackles. Adept at blizting off edge. Can locate ball carrier through traffic. When form tackling, brings an element of physicalness. Needs to continue to develop high-pointing ability as receiver to maximize length and height against smaller defenders. Being more consistent accelerating out of breaks will prove beneficial…Early contributor at Top 20 program. Mid-round NFL draft potential.” - 247Sports analyst Brian Dohn on Hanafin (source).

Depth chart fit: Hanafin is one of three wide receiver signees going into a receiver group that was lackluster last year largely outside of a true freshman’s performance in Antonio Williams. Opportunity should be there for any young player ready to step up there.

Clemsom bio

Rankings: Ranked 81st in Sports Illustrated’s SI99 for 2023 … listed as the No. 195 overall player in the nation by 247Sports, which also listed him as the No. 4 player in Massachusetts and the nation’s No. 13 athlete … Rivals ranked Hanafin as the No. 5 player in Massachusetts and 10th-best athlete in the class … ESPN.com ranked Hanafin as the No. 6 player in Massachusetts and the nation’s No. 35 athlete … PrepStar three-star recruit who ranked as the service’s sixth-best player in Massachusetts.

In High School: Versatile athlete who contributed in myriad ways at Massachusetts’ Buckingham Browne & Nichols School … started prep career at cornerback as a freshman but played receiver and linebacker/safety most of his career … also returned punts … limited by injury to only three games (and just one full game) as a senior … posted 64 tackles, five pass breakups, two interceptions and a sack as a junior in 2021 … contributed 30 receptions for 369 yards and four scores … played football and lacrosse … played for Mike Willey.

Personal: Brother of Shane Hanafin, who will be a redshirt freshman quarterback at Boston College in 2023 … his father, Dan, was Boston University’s starting quarterback in 1997, the last year the school played football … Dan led Boston University to victory over UMass in 1997, the last victory in BU football history … became Clemson’s first signee from Massachusetts since eventual unanimous All-American Christian Wilkins in 2015 … born Feb. 4, 2004 … committed to Clemson on August 14, 2022 … chose Clemson over Notre Dame, for whom he was recruited by former Clemson receiver Chansi Stuckey … expected to enroll at Clemson in summer 2023 … name pronounced “ROE-ninn HANN-uh-finn.”