Clemson recruiting dominance shows: ‘We can get anybody and everybody’
Not long after Clemson finished another stellar signing day, the Tigers released a graphic on Twitter highlighting that this is the first time Clemson has signed the No. 1 recruit in five different states.
The Tigers officially inked Trevor Lawrence (Ga.), Xavier Thomas (Fla.), Jackson Carman (Ohio), KJ Henry (N.C.) and Derion Kendrick (S.C.) during the early signing period, which started on Wednesday.
The five are rated as the top player in their respective states by at least one of the major recruiting sites- 247Sports, Rivals or ESPN.
Not only that, Clemson also landed the No. 1 quarterback in the country in Lawrence, the No. 1 defensive lineman in Thomas and the No. 1 offensive lineman in Carman.
Tigers recruiting coordinator Brandon Streeter spoke about Clemson’s success on the recruiting trail on Thursday and said the staff takes pride in the class it signed and the recognition it has received.
Clemson is currently ranked No. 10 by Rivals, No. 5 by ESPN and No. 7 by 247Sports composite, despite having only 15 signees.
“When you get recognized from somebody other than the program you’re going to, and other people are saying that they’re the number one player at their position, that’s awesome,” Streeter said. “That means we can get anybody and everybody. And that has helped us go to the next level in recruiting, and that’s helped us get guys from not only right here, but wherever it takes.”
Clemson signed players from Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Ohio on Wednesday and is still chasing some prospects in other states that will be signing in February.
The defending national champions have always recruited successfully under Dabo Swinney, and going on the road and pulling in top prospects is easier now that the Tigers are set to play in the College Football Playoff for the third consecutive season.
“It says a lot about what we’re about here. When you’re beating teams like Ohio State for the number one player in their state, that says a lot of good things,” Streeter said. “It says a lot about the people. And that’s the neatest thing about this place is if we can get guys to come on our campus and meet as many people as possible, it’s such an advantage, because we don’t just talk it.
“People can feel it and sense it and touch it when they get on our campus. Obviously the facilities are kind of the icing on the cake. But we’re second to none as far as that’s concerned, too, so that definitely helps.”
While Clemson is having success around the country in recruiting, it continues to focus on the Palmetto State.
The Tigers signed six players from South Carolina on Wednesday .
“We still want to be heavy in the closer areas. We’re going to swarm South Carolina,” Streeter said. “We want to hit hard the closer areas, but it doesn’t say we’re not going to go out and get guys, especially if they show interest.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2017 at 6:48 PM with the headline "Clemson recruiting dominance shows: ‘We can get anybody and everybody’."