This has been a question on my mind for quite awhile. Do we potentially have our own "version" of a Dabo Swinney? Now, I understand, Clemson has a territorial recruiting advantage that doesn't quite exist with our Tigers. But, I only pose the question with how Drink has recruited regionally thus far. Clemson more or less had the entire lower eastern seaboard to recruit from, North/South Carolina, Florida and by extension Georgia.
But, Drink is doing something similar in targeting the surrounding states to kind of level the recruiting playing field. I didn't give this much serious thought until he pulled two 4 stars out of Indiana. So, I attempted to draw parallels between where Clemson was when Swinney took over to where Drink is currently positioned going into year 2.
Swinney's first recruiting class ranking, year and record.
37, 2009, 9-5
19, 2010, 6-7
8, 2011, 10-4
14, 2012, 11-2
14, 2013, 11-2
13, 2014, 10-3
4, 2015, 14-1
Again, I recognize that it's not an exact correlation and the recruiting advantages we lack. But, Swinney replaced a relatively underwhelming Bowden and turned the Tigers into a blue blood and annual championship contender. I had contemplated drawing a similar parallel with the Ducks. But, what they lack in recruiting territory they made up for it with Phil Knight's money.
We are only in year 2 of the Drink experiment, but he's off to a similar start on the recruiting trail. Technically, he's off to a similar start in the W/L category, seeing that he was tasked with an all SEC schedule.
However, historically, the Tigers hadn't been anything more than a middling ACC team until they struck gold with Swinney. This is not to say to back up the brinks and lock up Drink for the next 2 decades. I guess maybe I'm attempting to slant an idea that may or may not be there. You can call me whatever you want for trying to draw the parallels, but I'd like to hear some of your thoughts?
But, Drink is doing something similar in targeting the surrounding states to kind of level the recruiting playing field. I didn't give this much serious thought until he pulled two 4 stars out of Indiana. So, I attempted to draw parallels between where Clemson was when Swinney took over to where Drink is currently positioned going into year 2.
Swinney's first recruiting class ranking, year and record.
37, 2009, 9-5
19, 2010, 6-7
8, 2011, 10-4
14, 2012, 11-2
14, 2013, 11-2
13, 2014, 10-3
4, 2015, 14-1
Again, I recognize that it's not an exact correlation and the recruiting advantages we lack. But, Swinney replaced a relatively underwhelming Bowden and turned the Tigers into a blue blood and annual championship contender. I had contemplated drawing a similar parallel with the Ducks. But, what they lack in recruiting territory they made up for it with Phil Knight's money.
We are only in year 2 of the Drink experiment, but he's off to a similar start on the recruiting trail. Technically, he's off to a similar start in the W/L category, seeing that he was tasked with an all SEC schedule.
However, historically, the Tigers hadn't been anything more than a middling ACC team until they struck gold with Swinney. This is not to say to back up the brinks and lock up Drink for the next 2 decades. I guess maybe I'm attempting to slant an idea that may or may not be there. You can call me whatever you want for trying to draw the parallels, but I'd like to hear some of your thoughts?
