Clemson football: Tigers are rewriting recruiting record books

As Clemson football welcomed back all the players that played for Coach Swinney since he took over as interim head coach back 2008, there is one thing to keep in mind – this program is just getting started.

When you say Clemson football is just getting started, it is actually really difficult to comprehend. A program that has appeared in four of the last five national title games and won two of them is actually nowhere near the level that they expect to be at over the next decade.

If you have been a longtime fan, it is really is mind-blowing to see where this program is. Looking at the names and faces of those on campus this weekend – Deandre Hopkins, Deshaun Watson, Andre Ellington, Grady Jarrett and a host of others, and you think out loud can it actually get better?

The bar that those names above set once seemed like Clemson really was at the top of the game and then every recruiting class seems to get bigger and better. The class of 2021 is on pace to be the best recruiting class in the history of the program. Get used to that sentence because it is going to be used over and over again over the next decade under Coach Swinney.

Take a look at the per recruit rankings for each of Clemson’s last five classes.

• 2016: .9030
• 2017: .9210
• 2018: .9345
• 2019: .8976
• 2020: .9345

With those in mind, now take a look at Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class more than 9 months away from the December signing day. The 2021 class has a per player average of a staggering .9551. The best class Alabama has ever had under Nick Saban was a .9438 in 2019.

We all know the talent gap has closed in regards to Clemson football versus the traditional college football powers like Ohio State, Alabama, and Oklahoma but it looks like Clemson is setting the new bar even higher than those programs ever did.

The “roaring 20s” will be a sight to behold as the best is definitely yet to come with Clemson football.