Re: I don't think we're exactly hurting recruiting-wise

Aug 24, 2017, 5:34 PM

> But I would question why it seems like we're among
> the few teams that take such small classes so
> frequently. I think that can hurt us down the line,
> especially now that we're performing so well and
> giving underclassmen more prominence. If we have too
> much unforeseen attrition, you're not just going to
> be able to replace everybody with freshmen the very
> next year.
>
> That said, we're not really reliant on those diamond
> in the rough guys anymore. We may end up with 4-5 of
> the best players in the country in this class, plus a
> bunch of guys ranked in the top 200 players.

I disagree with almost all of this statement.

The biggest reason why we have such small classes is because we have so little attrition. If you take a look even down I-26 you'll see the Chickens are bringing in something like 35 new players. Wrap your head around that - 35! Some are freshmen, some are transfers...but whatever, they had to throw old players out at a wondrous rate to bring in that many. That kills...everything. Team chemistry. Trust in the process, trust in the staff. Your grad rates. It's a veritable mob of hostile strangers, for the most part, who are just after your job. And you know you'll get thrown out with the trash if you don't contribute, and right away. How is that in any way healthy?

We are indeed reliant on those "diamond in the rough" players. For every 5-star on the roster who turned out we have another guy who was a project or was developed over time. Look across the opening-day projected starters and I'll show you all manner of 3-stars, or 4-stars who took 2-3 years to develop. I'll show you a 5-star WR in Deon Cain...and right next to him is a walk-on in Hunter Renfrow. Running back? Feaster was a 4-star. CJ Fuller and Travis Etienne - who is a monster, by the way - were 3's. Tight end? Milan Richard was a 4-star. DJ Greenlee was a 2-star, Shadell Bell a 3 - you'll see all three guys this year.

D-line? It's loaded for bear with 4/5-star guys, granted. But there's still room on it for guys like Jabril Robinson - a low-end 3-star - to make his mark. We're probably starting a 5-star at one LB slot in Tre Lamar, alongside a local Belton product in former 3-star Kendall Joseph...and our strongside LB (and maybe the best player on the D per many this year) is Dorian O'Daniel, who was a 4-star per most services, though it really took him until this year to really start playing to his vast potential.

We're starting two former 3-stars at safety in Van Smith and Tanner Muse. We could also start with two more 3-stars (Carter and Edmonds) at CB if the 4-star kids like Trayvon Mullen, Mark Fields, and K'Von Wallace don't beat them out.

We got some 5-star monsters in this 2018 recruiting class. We may also have to grab some "diamonds in the rough", as some call them. It doesn't matter. They'll turn out, if history is any indicator. They'll get developed. They'll get coached up, they'll get the very best in nutrition and access to an insanely modern weightroom, they'll get access to the best film rooms and cutup boards young players can have.

And most importantly, they won't get run off if even it takes them a couple years to develop. If the talent's there, Dabo will get it out of them.

Teams across the country waste and marginalize a tremendous amount of talent every year because they're impatient. Clemson does not. Which is why we just won a national title even averaging the 13th overall recruiting class in the country over the last five years.

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Re: I don't think we're exactly hurting recruiting-wise

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