Tigers' 2010 class is just peachy

CLEMSON - When receivers coach Jeff Scott became Clemson's recruiting coordinator last year, he did a geographical breakdown of ACC and SEC football rosters.

Obviously the state of Florida produced the most players, but the degree to which programs from those conferences relied on the state of Georgia underlined the Tigers' lack of presence there.

"Historically, Georgia has been really good to us," Scott said. "But the last couple of years, we haven't had as many people on the roster from there. Now we've made that area a point of emphasis."

Georgia was clearly on Clemson's mind for its 2010 class.

Seven of its 21 commitments hail from the Peach State, which would seem an obvious recruiting target, considering the state was home to the fourth-most signees by BCS schools from 2004-08.

Yet this year's haul represents a turnaround from what had become a wasteland south of the state border.

If the Tigers hold on to all seven pledges, they would have more signees from Georgia than the past four years combined (six) - hard to believe, considering significant players such as James Davis, Aaron Kelly and Cullen Harper were Georgia-grown.

Clemson's increased volume appears more a product of shifting its sales staff than anything. In 2008, the state was divided among three assistants: defensive ends coach Chris Rumph and two since-departed coaches, defensive coordinator Vic Koenning and outside linebackers coach Ron West.

In an effort to resuscitate the pipeline upon Dabo Swinney's promotion to coach last offseason, offensive coordinator Billy Napier - arguably the staff's top recruiter - was pulled from recruiting North Carolina and given northern Georgia, where he has ties from his prep playing career and his father's lengthy high school coaching tenure.

In conjunction, first-year secondary coach Charlie Harbison drew a significant portion of the Atlanta region, which has been divided among four Clemson coaches. Seven coaches now are assigned to territory in the state, compared to four a year ago.

It speaks to the fruits of their labor that as the Feb. 3 signing day approaches, the Tigers' only apparent concerns are protecting a trio of Georgia commitments from the neighboring vultures.

"It's like talking about what fish you caught before you've got them in the boat," Scott said.

David Beasley, an offensive guard from Columbus, Ga., has been getting a strong push from the Georgia Bulldogs. Vic Beasley (no relation), a tight end from Adairsville, Ga., is considering Auburn, where his father played. And Darius Robinson, a cornerback from Atlanta, has flirted with Georgia Tech.

The increased presence in Georgia may have some collateral damage. Clemson is set to sign just one player from North Carolina, where Napier annually nabbed two or three highly ranked prospects.

But the Tigers are hopeful the benefits outweigh any potential drawbacks. They are reportedly among the leaders for some of Georgia's top juniors, including tight end Jay Rome of Valdosta, Ga., and linebacker A.J. Johnson of Gainesville, Ga.

"We've had a lot of exposure down there the last few years because of the ACC championship (against Georgia Tech) and the Alabama game," Scott said. "The moves have been good for us so far."