Clemson sells program as ticket to the NFL

Odds that the 85 players majoring in football at Clemson will reach the pros are better today than at most schools.

As the NFL season kicks off, Clemson has 34 players on active rosters – seventh among all colleges. In a sport which the NCAA projects fewer than 2 percent of its players will become pros, Clemson proved to be one of the best launching points.

The numbers are a point of pride at Clemson, reflective of the program’s return to national prominence under coach Dabo Swinney. Earlier this year, nine Clemson players were selected in the NFL Draft, the most since 10 off a Danny Ford team in 1983.

Clemson looks for opportunities to highlight the successes of its former players, particularly through social media. High school players considering Clemson are aware of the school’s track record, said sophomore defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.

“It was clear that Clemson had a lot of success getting guys to the next level, especially on the (defensive) line,” Wilkins said. “So for me, as guy who has aspirations of being an NFL player, that was really big for me.

“I looked at a lot of things, but that was a factor. I liked the way that Clemson developed guys.”

Pushing into that elite group of first-round selections with the seven-figure contract is a goal, but ultimately it’s about making the opening-day roster. And not every player travels the same route to the pros.

Undrafted receivers Jaron Brown (2013) and Adam Humphries (2015) signed as free agents and stuck with their teams. Current players recognize the success Swinney’s staff has in developing them beyond what the pro scouts project.

“It’s brought up everywhere. Schools like to boast about the people that they sent to the NFL,” said senior center Jay Guillermo. “It was a point in recruiting.

“Clemson gets a lot of exposure. We were fortunate to play in a game like the one we just played in (at Auburn) in prime time, and I know we had like 15 NFL scouts there, so people want to see us play because we have talent.”

Co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Jeff Scott was credited with coining the phrase Wide Receiver U, which he frequently tosses into Twitter messages celebrating one of his former players. There are five former Clemson receivers on NFL rosters, including former first-round selections DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins.

However, there are 10 former defensive linemen on the list, two at linebacker, and eight defensive backs. So, it’s common for Clemson to target potential recruits with photographs and notes about former players during the NFL season.

“Highlighting our former players who are making an impact in the NFL is one of the core elements of our content strategy for Clemson football,” said Jonathan Gantt, director of new and creative media at Clemson. “Showing how Clemson helps develop top talent to provide opportunities at the next level is really important to our target audience of recruits.

“We’ll do a weekly graphic during the NFL season highlighting the performances of our former players and we also create videos, graphics, articles and other ‘Clemson in the NFL’ content throughout the year.”

One of the gems circulated last year was a photograph from 2011, with six former players currently in the NFL seated together during a Clemson game.

“We certainly try to tailor the visuals to the most targeted audience possible,” Gantt said. “So for example, we highlight our wide receiver talent in the content we send to our recruits who play wideout. Same thing with defensive linemen, linebackers, offensive linemen, etc.”

Clemson’s success on the field with five consecutive years of at least 10 wins and a run to the national championship game last season is rooted in its ability to recruit top talent, players with a better chance at pro careers.

Guillermo credits Swinney for creating a culture that provides an opportunity for Clemson players to flourish.

“I think almost everyone who comes to play college football, you’ve worked so hard for it why not take that chance at the NFL if you have that opportunity,” Guillermo said. “I think this sets me up for my best shot to play in the NFL.”

This story was originally published September 10, 2016 at 5:32 PM with the headline "Clemson sells program as ticket to the NFL."