This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Bingham's Cole Clemens is a big dude. He's a mountain in pads, and immediately captures the attention of spectators and opponents.
As an All-Tribune honoree as a junior, Clemens dominated the line of scrimmage last season at 6-foot-6 and 340 pounds, helping the Miners accumulate nearly 2,700 yards and 33 touchdowns on the ground.
Yet he was missing attention from recruiters. Not wanting to remain stagnant and relish in prior success, Clemens invested in an offseason low-carb regiment to slim down in order to increase his speed and agility. Working with former NFL tackle and longtime Bingham offensive line coach Keith Chatelain on a daily basis, Clemens shed 60 pounds and now weighs a svelte 280.
"I'm moving a lot better," Clemens admitted.
And now college programs are salivating.
Since April, Clemens — who has been hand-clocked in the 40-yard dash at 5.14 seconds — has received scholarship offers from Air Force, BYU, Dixie State, San Diego, Utah, Vanderbilt and Weber State, and that's strongly believed to be the tip of the iceberg.
Clemens is accustomed to the pro-style format, with an emphasis in the downhill rushing attack at Bingham. Although he conceded the run-game is his preference of style — he's capable of integrating into different schemes.
"Power football, obviously, I'm so used to it here that I've grown to love it," Clemens. "I'm willing to transition to anything in college, but I do love power football. It's my favorite way to play."
Clemens grew up in central Illinois before his father was transferred to Houston and eventually to Utah 13 years ago. He said he's not opposed to staying home with offers from both BYU and Utah, but said he isn't timid about heading outside the Beehive boarders, either.
"They're obviously both great programs. They play competitive football. You can't ask for much more," Clemens said of the Cougars and Utes. "I'm interested [in both programs]. I'm just waiting until the summer is over to gauge what I should do. I haven't really made any decisions yet."
Clemens maintains a cumulative 3.997 grade-point average, with aspirations of studying business or law in college. Academics will play a huge role in his ultimate decision to commit, which has elevated the allure of Vanderbilt and Stanford, which has yet to offer but has expressed mutual interest.
— Trevor Phibbs
Twitter: @trevorphibbs