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Clemson football: In-state prospect offers are very rare for the Tigers

By Jeff Benedict

CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 26: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers points to the sky as the Tigers prepare to run down the hill prior to their homecoming game against the Boston College Eagles at Memorial Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 26: Head coach Dabo Swinney of the Clemson Tigers points to the sky as the Tigers prepare to run down the hill prior to their homecoming game against the Boston College Eagles at Memorial Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Mike Comer/Getty Images) /
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A Clemson football offer is special as they don’t just offer anyone, but an in-state Clemson offer is even rarer these days.

Being among the nation’s elite means that Clemson football has the ability to go into nearly any house in the country and pitch the most elite high school players North America has to offer. That has meant even the best players in the state of South Carolina are not getting a Clemson offer.

This is far cry from where Clemson football recruiting was just several years ago. Sure, the logo was known regionally as the Tigers had routinely signed players from Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida but now they are going after the elite kids in Texas, California, and Louisiana as well.

This means that the instate South Carolina products are limited in their FBS in-state offers to just one, if at all.

In 2021, 2022, and 2023 recruiting classes, Clemson has not offered a single instate South Carolina product. Full context, the Tigers have not made any offers for 2022 yet and their only 2023 offer was made last week to A.J. Terrell’s younger brother Avieon.

Looking at the 2019 and 2020 recruiting classes, the Tigers made a combined 277 offers between both years to high school players from coast to coast. Of those 277 offers, just 12 went to instate products – four in the 2020 class and eight in the 2019 class.

The 2021 Clemson football recruiting class is currently ranked fourth in the country behind Ohio State, Tennessee and UNC. Keep in mind Clemson has just 10 commitments while Ohio State has 17, Tennessee has 21, and UNC has 14. Clemson’s per player average is higher than those three teams.

Clemson football has also made just 72 offers for the 2021 class while Ohio State has made offers to 169 athletes, Tennessee has an insane 452 offers out to high school football players and UNC has made offers to 114 players.

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The days of higher-rated instate South Carolina players getting Clemson offers is no longer the case and if they are going to stay in-state to play FBS football, their only choice is South Carolina in most cases. When you wonder why Clemson has dominated South Carolina over the last six years, recruiting nationally and not regionally has been a big reason for why.

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