Clemson football has changed recruiting for the better

Clemson football is at the top of the mountain right now in college football and it’s crazy to take a look back and realize how they got there.

The craziest aspect to entertain of the rise to Clemson football is not that it has happened but that Dabo Swinney changed recruiting in general and is changing the sport for the better.

If you have been around college football long enough, you know that for the entire existence of the sport it was led by men that had no interest in what their players were doing off the field and only developed them around football. There was no family atmosphere and certainly no such thing as servant leadership.

Watch the movie Junction Boys and get an idea of how hard nose coaches were.

In comes Coach Swinney and his revolutionary thought process of family inclusion and a complete person developmental philosophy. He was not trying to sell a program to players and their families, he was trying to build a culture where players didn’t just get bigger, faster stronger but also became more knowledgeable, well-rounded and actually gained an education.

As recruits came to Clemson, they all said the same thing – Clemson was different and it was a family. Swinney believed that surrounding players with a holistic approach would not only attract the best kids and families but would go a long way into making Clemson the juggernaut that it is. With better players came more wins, with more wins came more money, more money brought better facilities, and the cycle continues.

With all of this comes the best coaches as well. While you see other programs having massive turnover every year, Clemson has been able to develop their coaches and keep continuity. And when they have had to replace coaches, Coach Swinney has been able to attract the best and keep them here despite offers from other programs.

Four national title appearances over the last five years speak volumes in regards to where Clemson is. The 2021 recruiting class has the highest per ranking than the program has ever had and Coach Swinney believes that things are just getting started. He has changed the way recruiting is done and has changed the expectations that athletes and their families have for their futures.

Clemson football under Coach Swinney does not simply recruit great players, they recruit great people and that had never been done at this level. Coach Swinney believes that the relationship between athlete and school should be reciprocated and is making sure that every player that chooses Clemson understands and achieves that.

College football recruiting has changed and Clemson football is at the forefront.