Bowden's Tigers finish with one of country's top classes

By PETE IACOBELLI - ASSOCIATED PRESS

COLUMBIA | Clemson coach Tommy Bowden already had the country's top defender in Da'Quan Bowers enrolled and working out. So there was probably little that could happen on signing day to better that, right?

Try these: Landing a tight end who was pledged to Georgia and slipping another Sunshine State tailback from the backyard of that state's power trio to finish with one of college football's top classes.

Terry Sanford High's Dwayne Allen, a 6-foot-4, 243-pounder from Fayetteville, N.C., had originally committed to the Bulldogs. On Wednesday, the first day high school football prospects could officially sign with colleges, Allen decided to join the Tigers. About two hours later, Clemson got the binding letter of intent from coveted tailback Jamie Harper of Jacksonville, Fla.

Harper, a Trinity Christian Academy prospect who had offers from Florida, Florida State and Miami, followed the example of Clemson star C.J. Spiller and left his home state to play for Bowden's Tigers.

Clemson brought in 26 recruits in its latest class, rated No. 2 on ESPN/Scouts Inc.'s rankings behind Miami.

"And I didn't even mention Da'Quan," Bowden said of the Bamberg-Ehrhardt defensive end. "Out of sight, out of mind."

Not for long.

Bowden dismissed the No. 2 ranking for the class, calling it nice like being ranked high in a preseason poll. He said what matters more is to see who else was after Clemson's incoming players like Antoine McClain, a 6-6, 305-pound offensive lineman from Anniston, Ala., who turned down his home state powers in Alabama and Auburn, along with national champ LSU to play for Bowden.

Clemson's coach said his staff finished as strongly as it ever had, notching six of its final seven targets the last 10 days — double the three Bowden thought he'd get — and beating out rivals from the Atlantic Coast and Southeastern conferences.

"I think that's more of an indication that we were on the right guys more so than the (team) ranking," Bowden said.

In all the late rush, it was easy to forget about Bowers, the 270-pound defensive lineman from Bamberg. He gave up his final high school semester to begin his college life and take part in spring practice.

"I never had that happen," Bowden said about having such a high-profile player come to campus early. "So that in itself put us a step ahead of other signing days."

Clemson's longtime athletic spokesman Tim Bourret, asked to assess if this was the Tigers best class ever, says two previous football signing classes, in 1978 and 1989, eventually produced six NFL players. The 1978 class, the backbone of the Tigers' 1981 national championship club, included defensive back Terry Kinard and linebacker Jeff Davis, both who were later selected for the College Football Hall of Fame.

It will take some time to see if Bowden's newest group lives up to that highly decorated class.

The Tigers looked on track to the ACC title game this past fall, but lost, 20-17, to Boston College to fall short. They had a chance for the school's first 10-win season since 1990 and again came up short, losing to Auburn, 23-20 in overtime at last year's Chick-fil-A Bowl.

The potential star power in Clemson's new class will only increase the pressure for championships on Bowden, despite a new contract through 2014.

"The expectations were high when I got here. I've been on the hot seat three times" in nine seasons, Bowden said.

Clemson finished 9-4 last season and has won eight or more games three straight years — a stretch of success it hasn't had since the late 1980s and early 1990s.

The coach knows what he'll have to do to keep talented players showing up with the same frequency — win. "We've need to jump on up there and be consistent and even elevate to another level," Bowden said.