THE WEST ZONE message board | SHOP NOW: DEALS on CLEMSON apparel

1. In terms of timeliness, the most pertinent prospect to take in Clemson’s 34-7 victory against Boston College was Roebuck (S.C.) Dorman offensive lineman Jordan McFadden.

McFadden (6-4, 290) has been on Clemson’s radar awhile, as should be expected given the program's Dorman history. And the feeling was mutual; McFadden went to a couple of Tigers games last season as well as the spring game.

He committed to Virginia Tech over Duke, Mississippi State and Rutgers in June.

And then came Clemson’s offer on the eve of August preseason, about two weeks after the Tigers really began ramping up communication again.

McFadden has said all the respectful things regarding the strength of his Virginia Tech commitment, and we do have reason to believe the Hokies predictably have responded by framing to McFadden that he was a fallback for Clemson compared to one of their primary options.

Those are the reasons a flip hasn’t necessarily been an immediate slam dunk. But Clemson never pushed for it to be, either; that’s not their mode of operation in such situations.

McFadden took in the bright lights of the Auburn victory, but this trip was about getting his mother to meet the coaching staff and engage in the Clemson experience for the first time.

Per our sources, the Tigers’ mission was accomplished Saturday.