Dan Mullen hasn’t coached a game yet as the head coach of the Florida Gators, but here’s why Clemson football fans should be pulling for him.
The Clemson football program should fear no one on the recruiting trail. Under Dabo Swinney, the Tigers have turned into a recruiting juggernaut, with the ability to pull prized recruits from every corner of the country.
That being said, I’m sure Clemson’s staff would like to see blue-chip recruits steering clear of in-conference programs such as Florida State and Miami. That’s where Dan Mullen comes in.
Mullen’s Recruiting Momentum
Dan Mullen gives Florida an energetic head coach who loves recruiting, which is more than you could say about Jim McElwain. At the moment, it appears that Mullen is making a solid first impression in the Sunshine state
Florida currently has the 12th ranked recruiting class in the nation according to 247sports. Five of their seven commits hail from the state of Florida at the moment.
Mullen’s class only figures to improve as we move closer to National Signing Day. The Gators are in good position with a pair of five-star prospects in Trey Sanders (RB) and Kayvon Thibodeaux (DE).
Significance to Clemson
Mullen’s success on the recruiting trail is important for Clemson with in-state powers, Miami and Florida State playing in the ACC.
The less talent that the ‘Canes and ‘Noles are able to acquire, the better for the Tigers. It wasn’t too long ago that FSU was ruining Clemson’s ACC title hopes on a regular basis.
Mark Richt is tearing it up on the recruiting trail for Miami. That being said, Clemson doesn’t have to face the Hurricanes on a yearly basis. Not to mention the fact that Richt’s teams don’t necessarily fare well in big games.
Florida State also welcomes a new head coach of their own in Willie Taggart. This bodes well for Clemson as well. Say what you want about Jimbo Fisher, but, the man could recruit with the best of them. The fact that Mullen doesn’t have to recruit against a coach with his roots deeply entrenched in the state is a big plus.
Next: 5-star 2019 WR trends towards the Tigers
Florida State currently has the 14th ranked recruiting class in the country. It’ll be interesting to see how Florida’s “Big 3” will jockey for position in the Sunshine state over the coming years. On the field success will likely play a role in this recruiting war.