How Clemson built a national championship team

Clemson’s national championship team was filled with high-profile stars like Deshaun Watson and Mike Williams on offense, as well as Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence on defense.

Those players, along with 10 other starters on the 2016 team, were either four- or five-star prospects according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and showed up on campus with large expectations.

But the Tigers weren’t all highly-sought recruits. Of Clemson’s 22 starters on offense and defense, six were rated as three-star prospects, one was rated as a two-star prospect and one wasn’t ranked.

Guys such as Hunter Renfrow, Ryan Carter and Jadar Johnson might not have caused much excitement on Signing Day, but they played key roles in the Tigers’ run to the national championship.

“I think the main thing for us is we’ve evaluated well and we’ve developed our players,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “It’s not like everybody is a 5-star.”

Renfrow, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass against Alabama, wasn’t ranked coming out of Socastee High. His only FBS scholarship offer was from Appalachian State before he opted to walk on at Clemson.

Carter was a 2-star prospect out of Grayson High in Georgia who some said was only offered a scholarship because Clemson was trying to sign his high school teammate, Robert Nkemdiche, the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2013.

Johnson, Carter, linebacker Kendall Joseph and cornerback Cordrea Tankersley were three-star or lower prospects that started for Clemson’s defense, while Renfrow, left guard Taylor Hearn, center Jay Guillermo and tight end Jordan Leggett were three-star or lower recruits starting on offense.

“Nobody wanted Ryan Carter except Clemson, and he’s turned out to be a heck of a player for us,” Swinney said. “Jadar Johnson was not some big-time recruit. Neither was Van Smith at safety. Those guys have played very well for us. Cordrea Tankersley, same thing, just kind of a blue-collar guy that’s developed nicely.”

Current Tampa Bay Buccaneers receiver Adam Humphries, of Dorman High, is a former Clemson player who was overlooked before having success for the Tigers, and now in the NFL.

Humphries was rated as the No. 162 receiver in the country in the class of 2011, but started for the Tigers as a junior and senior and was named a team captain his final season at Clemson.

Humphries finished his college career with 1,097 receiving yards, 476 punt-return yards and five touchdowns, despite Clemson being his only FBS offer.

Humphries told The State that Clemson’s program does a great job of evaluating players and finding diamonds in the rough, then helping them succeed.

“It’s not about what you did before you got there. It’s about how hungry you are and the type of person you are inside and what kind of heart and determination you have,” he said.

Humphries said every player gets an opportunity to showcase his talents in practice. If he performs well, he’ll get a chance in games. He believes that is due in part to Swinney’s background of being a walk on at Alabama.

“The best man’s going to play. If the coaches see a two-star guy is playing better than a five-star guy they have no problem playing the two-star guy over him,” Humphries said. “Their jobs on the line and they want to win.”

Swinney knows how to attract top talent, too.

The Tigers signed the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2016 in Lawrence, who had 78 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks as a true freshman.

Clemson signed three five-star prospects in 2015, starting left tackle Mitch Hyatt, receiver Deon Cain, who finished second in touchdowns with nine and third in receiving yards with 724, and Wilkins, who had 13 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback pressures.

The stars and under-the-radar prospects led Clemson to a national title.

“We recruited well,” Swinney said. “And not just recruited well, but evaluated well.”

This story was originally published January 31, 2017 at 6:20 PM with the headline "How Clemson built a national championship team."