The evolution of Clemson’s football program, from wanna-be national power to contender to national elite, is best viewed through the prism of recruiting. Not with the recruiting rankings, but with the recruits themselves.
Six years ago, I made the trip down to Buford (GA) High for the annual Nike Combine and came away with a better understanding of how the Tigers were perceived by high school coaches and players across the region.
Clemson was seen as the underdog, the school with unlimited potential but still scratching for a spot in the college football hierarchy. A few years later, the view had changed, and the Tigers were seen as one of those second-tier schools, not quite on the level of Alabama or Ohio St.