Swinney's old-fashioned message resonates as Tigers add to stellar class

Clemson's offensive line recruits pose in Death Valley with Matt Luke.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Mon Jan 29 13:15:02 GMT-04:00 2024

In a world of transactional relationships, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is still doing things his way, and it paid off in a big way for the Tigers after the coaches hosted 20-plus players for an Elite Junior Day this past weekend.

The old recruiting adage says that recruits have to date the coach but marry the school, a nod to the fact that coaches won’t always be at a school, but once you attend a college or university, you are a part of that world for the rest of your life, and you make your decision based on the long-term.

In today’s college football world, there aren’t a lot of lifelong relationships or marriages as both coaches and recruits chase one-year stints and transactional relationships over something more substantial. Swinney gave a speech to the recruits and their families this past weekend that lasted well over two hours, and in that speech, he highlighted the things that differentiate Clemson and its staff from the rest of college football.

One recruit – offensive lineman Jaylan Beckley – gave his commitment to Clemson at the end of the speech. Another big-time offensive lineman, Brayden Jacobs, also committed and defensive lineman Isaiah Campbell announced his pledge Monday morning.

The reverberations from that speech and the weekend will continue into the spring and summer.

However, the quick takeaway is that the Tigers started to address a position of importance – the offensive line – while also getting another dynamic defensive line piece in Campbell. Campbell joins top defensive end Ari Watford, who got the proverbial ball rolling earlier in the previous week with a commitment. According to the 247Sports Team Composite, it gives Clemson the No. 2 class overall.

Beckley told me that because Swinney’s speech went a little long, the recruits didn’t make it over to Swinney’s house until later in the evening. Once there, it was all fun and games as the recruits checked out the Swinney manse while also spending more time together and with the coaches.

That includes those offensive linemen. The Tigers now have three offensive linemen committed for the 2025 cycle in Beckley, Jacobs, and Easton Ware. I’ve been told that the sweet spot for this class is probably four, but five is also doable with the right prospect and fit. How do I read that? The Tigers could take another offensive lineman, and if David Sanders, the 5-star out of Charlotte (NC) Providence Day, decides he wants to come on board later, then five it is.

From all of the returns I’ve received – and they’ve been plentiful – the visit resonated with Sanders and his family. Now that Sanders has been on campus and spent time with Swinney and offensive line coach Matt Luke, the real work begins. He will release a list of his top schools soon, and there is the expectation he wants to return for the Elite Retreat in June when Swinney kicks off his high school camps.

More on Sanders and the other offensive linemen later.