How Clemson Transformed into a Recruiting Powerhouse

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is all too familiar with the process of starting from the bottom and clawing his way to the top.

He did it as a scrappy walk-on player at the University of Alabama, and he's repeated the same feat as a coach in leading the Tigers to a 14-1 record and runner-up finish in 2015.

Nowhere is Clemson's transformation into a superpower more evident than the work Swinney and his staff have done on the recruiting trail.

As 4-star quarterback and current Tigers pledge Chase Brice pointed out, Swinney's personal journey is one that elite recruits can relate to.

Rank	Position/Player	Position Rank	Overall Rank	Home State
4-Star	WR Tee Higgins	5	46	Tennessee
4-Star	PSQB Hunter Johnson	5	61	Indiana
4-Star	RB Cordarrian Richardson	7	78	Tennessee
4-Star	S AJ Terrell	8	80	Georgia
4-Star	TE Logan Rudolph	6	188	South Carolina
4-Star	WR Amari Rodgers	29	211	Tennessee
4-Star	OLB Justin Foster	18	225	North Carolina
4-Star	OG Matt Bockhorst	13	232	Ohio
4-Star	CB LeAnthony Williams Jr.	24	250	Georgia
4-Star	DE Jordan Williams	27	287	Virginia
4-Star	QB Chase Brice	21	N/A	Georgia

"[Swinney] has worked super hard for everything he got. It's really easy for him to relate to walk-on players and also studs because he went against those type of players everyday [as a player]," Brice told Bleacher Report. 

The Tigers are once again competing in the College Football Playoff this year, with a semifinal matchup against Big Ten power Ohio State set for Dec. 31.

However, that's not all Tigers fans have to look forward to.

Clemson's 2017 class currently ranks No. 12 nationally. But a closer look reveals that the Tigers are on another level in terms of the quality of prospect they are attracting to join their program.

The average rating of each recruit in the Tigers class is 3.86—which trails only Alabama, Ohio State and Georgia for the best ranking in that category. That places the Tigers ahead of other recruiting powerhouses such as Michigan and ACC rival Florida State. 

Despite having a mere 14 commitments—which is one of just six classes among the nation's Top 25 overall classes to have 15 or less pledges—Swinney and his staff have laid the foundation for a class with the potential to be the best group ever assembled since he took over the program.

Elite recruits are paying attention.

For example, the Tigers already got a jump on the 2018 class by landing a pledge from 5-star quarterback Trevor Lawrence—who is the top overall junior prospect in the country. 

With the Tigers firmly in the mix for elite 2018 5-star players such as defensive end Xavier Thomas and running back Zamir White, among others, Clemson's penchant for winning big on the recruiting trail is seemingly gaining steam by the minute.

The nation might still be sleeping, but while they have been, Swinney has been busy creating the nation's newest recruiting superpower.

How did it happen and what lies ahead in the future?

While Clemson's rise to join the nation's elite has occurred during Swinney's tenure, the Tigers first made waves on the recruiting trail on national signing day in 2006.

That's when 5-star running back C.J. Spiller stunned onlookers around the country by spurning home state powers Florida and Florida State to head to the Palmetto State to play for the Tigers.

What former Tigers head coach Tommy Bowden started in poaching talented prospects from the Sunshine State, Swinney has continued.

Since he took over the program following the 2008 season, Swinney has signed at least one Florida native in each of Clemson's recruiting classes with the exception of the 2009 cycle.

Overall, Clemson has signed 28 prospects originally from the state of Florida in that period—including one 5-star prospect and seven players ranked among the Top 100 overall prospects in their respective classes.

Class	Position/Player	Rating	Overall Rank
2011	WR Sammy Watkins	5-Star	41
2011	LB Tony Steward	4-Star	54
2011	RB Mike Bellamy	4-Star	60
2012	S Travis Blanks	4-Star	160
2013	CB Mackensie Alexander	4-Star	71
2013	S Jayron Kearse	4-Star	100
2014	WR Artavis Scott	4-Star	102
2015	WR Deon Cain	4-Star	46
2015	ATH Ray Ray McCloud III	4-Star	121
2016	CB Trayvon Mullen	4-Star	72

Since the 2011 class that featured former Tigers All-American receiver Sammy Watkins, all of Clemson's classes have ranked among the nation's Top 20 classes each year except the 2014 class that finished 28th.

But given that Clemson has won at least 10 games in each of the last six seasons, their reach is starting to grow nationally. 

While fellow Atlantic Division power Florida State has traditionally anchored the ACC in recruiting, the Tigers have steadily climbed up the ladder to join the 'Noles among the nation's elite.

The 2017 class is on pace to become the most decorated class in Swinney's tenure. It features 14 commitments who hail from nine different states. Nine current pledges rate among the nation's Top 250 players overall.

Instead of the Sunshine State, Clemson has struck gold in two states also inhabited by SEC powerhouses—Georgia and Tennessee.

Seven players combined from those territories are headed to play for Swinney—including Brice and 4-star receiver Amari Rodgers.

Rodgers, who was once committed to play for USC—where his father is current Trojans offensive coordinator Tee Martin—explained what led him to select the option of playing for the Tigers.

"It was their winning. That and the fact that Coach Dabo graduates like 98.8 percent of his players who have gone there," Rodgers said. "The ones who haven't graduated went to the league early and they always come back and graduate down the line. So basically, he graduates every player he coaches and that's something that is a big head-turner for sure. They win and he makes sure his players graduate. That's really important."

Clemson has a lot to sell to recruits in terms of tradition, a passionate fanbase and a recent track record of developing players and sending them to the NFL.

However, the figurehead behind Clemson's rise is its energetic and eccentric head coach.

Rodgers cited Swinney's calm and easygoing demeanor as something that stuck with him as he was sorting through his process.

"He's so cool. You can have any type of conversation with him. He's funny and relaxing. You can talk to him about anything, whether it's a problem at home or something like that," Rodgers said. "He will sit you down and help you through it. He's also a person who can let loose and have fun, and not all coaches are like that. At the same time, he's serious when it's time to get down to business."

Still, even with those qualities, respect has been slow to come on a national level.

After surviving a rough stretch in his second season—where the Tigers finished 6-7—he's reached double-digit wins every year and gotten to 11 or more in four of those years.

Last year's 14-1 run came to an end at the hands of Alabama in the national title game. But behind its current star quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Tigers once again have a chance to capture the school's first national title since 1981.

Additionally, since the 2009 NFL draft, Clemson has had 42 players drafted. Six of those players were first-round picks and another 10 were selected in Rounds 2 and 3.

He also clearly has an eye on molding a quality group of assistants. Receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott and defensive coordinator Brent Venables currently rank among the nation's Top 25 recruiters, according to 247Sports. Furthermore, six of his assistants have been on the staff since 2011—which has helped create a culture of family and continuity.

With a second straight trip to the playoff and a 2017 class that has a chance to be the best in the Swinney era, the future is bright for the defending ACC champions.

After the winding journey to the foothills of college football's peak, Swinney and the Tigers are gunning for the top spot.

It's something he's prepared for since the day he took over the Tigers program, and his players and future recruits believe that day is coming sooner than later.

"He is a fiery coach. He loves to have fun, but he will get on to you for the smallest things. He wants you to be perfect," Brice said. "He's very detail-oriented. What gravitates me toward him is the way he loves his players, the university and the football program as a whole. He doesn't take anything for granted. He appreciates everything given to him and everything that he has earned."

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of Scout.com.