Clemson football coaches Todd Bates and Robbie Caldwell were among the Top 20 college football recruiters in 2020.
It is no secret that Clemson football recruiting has taken major strides forward over the last decade. Seemingly every class gets better and better while the roster is deeper than ever. It is also no secret that Clemson football recruits very differently from every other elite program in the country as well. The Tigers offer just small percentage athletes that schools like Ohio State, Oklahoma, FSU, Georgia, and Alabama, which makes a Clemson offer that much more special.
After the Tigers signed the third-best class in 2020, both Coach Bates and Coach Caldwell were named among the Top 20 recruiters in the country. Bates appeared at number two on the list while Coach Caldwell came in at number 16.
Fast-forward to 2021, the Tigers have the second-rated class in the country despite having just 14 commitments and yet both Coach Bates and Coach Caldwell have dropped out of the Top 25 altogether. Matter of fact, both coaches aren’t even ranked in the Top 25 among ACC recruiters.
Let that sink in for just a minute. Two of the best recruiters on the best coaching staff in the country aren’t even ranked in the Top 25 among the conference that they dominate both on the field and on the recruiting trail.
For 2021, the only Clemson football coach that appears in the Top 25 nationally is defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who comes in at number 18 for 2021.
Several Clemson football coaches among the Top 25 in ACC rankings
When looking at the Top 25 recruiters in 2021 among just ACC coaches, Coaches Venables comes in at number four while new receivers coach Tyler Grisham comes in at number nine, and offensive coordinator Tony Elliott appears at number 11.
Of course, none of the Clemson football coaches actually care where some arbitrary rankings have them listed at and quite honestly neither should we, but it is just comical to see how outsiders still view the best program in college football and many will do whatever they can to knock the program when given the chance.