Clemson football: How does the class of 2023 compare to past recruiting classes?

Rankings Breakdown

If we start to parse Clemson’s last ten classes based on rankings, instead of star-rating, this is what we see:

Again, we see how good the 2018 & 2020 classes were. We don’t need to go over that again.

How does 2023 compare so far? It has two players in the Top 50: 5-star Christopher Vizzina and 4-star Vic Burley. That is very respectable compared to most Clemson classes. The other player in this range that Clemson is in play with is defensive lineman Peter Woods. He is currently ranked #26 in the Composite, and a commitment from him would add more weight to the top of the 2023 class. Presently, Woods is considering Alabama & Clemson. He plans to announce on July 8th.

I think Clemson’s lack of on-field momentum from the 2021 season explains why Clemson found it difficult to pull in more Top 100 players in 2023. Many of the highest-rated prospects questioned if the Tigers could get back to the College Football Playoff and tended to dismiss Clemson as a potential destination early in the process. They removed themselves from Clemson’s radar before they handed out invitations to the big official visit weekend that has created this wave of positive momentum in recruiting.

The biggest number for this class is the players ranked between 200-400. There is only one class other than 2018 & 2020 that has more recruits at a higher-ranking level, and that’s the 2021 class. They had the most players ranked between 101-200, as well as seven players in the Top 100. 2023 is on par with the Class of 2017 with the bulk of players ranked 201-400. Every other class in the last decade had more kids ranked 401 or higher (or unranked).

The obvious place where this class isn’t the same as a lot of other classes is in that tier of players ranked 51-100. Clemson hasn’t failed to get a commitment for a player in that range in the previous nine classes. There is always a chance a player like Jamal Anderson (ranked #172) or Stephiylan Green (ranked #213) could take a big jump in the rankings during their senior seasons of high school, but that would be a momentous move. Clemson’s best chance to land players in that range for this class lies with guys who haven’t made their decisions yet.

Interior offensive lineman Harris Sewell is ranked #72. Most of the conversation surrounding his recruitment is very favorable for Clemson, and it feels like he could be their first commitment in this range.

The other two players in this tier that Clemson is recruiting are offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, from Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina (ranked #62) and defensive lineman Keldric Faulk (ranked #84). The Tigers are in contention with both, but probably wouldn’t be considered leaders for either.

The Class of 2023 may not have the numbers at the very top of the rankings that 2018, 2020 & 2021 had, but the depth of the class is superior to many of the other classes from the past decade.