Clemson’s suddenly interested in Hopewell High RB

Hopewell's Dondre Lewis-Freeman ran all over Mooresville Friday night in the Titans’ 42-21 victory, rushing for 224 yards on 14 carries and scoring five TDs.

Clemson’s recruiters quickly took notice.

“They called and asked for film on Dondre,” said Hopewell coach Chris Rust a few minutes ago. “I’ve got a feeling they won’t be the last school to call.”

Lewis-Freeman is still just a junior, so he’s had no offers yet. But any more games like Fridays and colleges will find him hard to ignore.

He’s a solid 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds with 4.6 speed, and as an underclassman, has time to get faster. Friday’s yardage gave him 839 rushing yards for the season, an average of 105 a game. And he now has 12 TDs.

Stats, of course, can be misleading in high school. But Rust believes Lewis-Freeman is the real deal.

“He’s got real good vision; he sees the field well,” Rust said. “He makes good cuts.”

Clemson has noticed. Look for others to follow.

--Stan Olson