2009 Assessment -- 2010 Assessment -- 2011 Assessment


What is important, far more than some stupid star ratings and Rivals/Scout/ESPN rankings, is whether the signing class fills the needs of the program. Just signing 5-star backs every year doesn't equate to wins if you don't have 5 good OL up front with backups that can play in case of injury. It doesnt matter to put up 40 points if you give up 42. Below we'll look over the depth charts and give our thoughts as to whether the class really is good for Clemson.

DE - Gone are Andre Branch and Kourtnei Brown, one starter and another seasoned backup. Malliciah Goodman returns on the strongside but is not a good pass rusher. Corey Crawford is likely to step right in as the starter on the weakside, and I'm confident he can become a good pass rusher. The questions are on the backups at each spot. Tavaris Barnes never got any PT at the 3-technique last year, partly due to the lack of mass, so it is possible he moves back outside. Kevin Dodd is coming in from Hargrave as a 3-technique, but could help out as a SDE. Rod Byers took a RS and could start out at DE but seems an eventual DT. Vic Beasley shuffled from TE-LB-Bandit and couldn't get on the field the last couple years. A year of weight gains would be great for him to play as Crawford's backup. Goodman will be gone in a year, so you need to replace the two losses and plan to take another with lead time of a year, and possibly RS some of them. Newcomers Martin Aiken and Shaq Lawson fill those needs, but we'll probably be forced to play at least one of them. We're decent with numbers here, but it would be preferable to have another that we know can play without needing freshmen to play. What we believe Clemson missed out on, again, is the elite DE prospect who could provide immediate help in the pass rush. I would've liked to have another quality DE even if he wasn't the elite one.

DT - Clemson loses NG Brandon Thompson and 3-DT Rennie Moore. Both are starters. From the play this season, it was obvious that we don't have an heir apparent for BT just yet, and we need better gap control from the 3 in the run game. Tyler Shatley often played most as the NG backup, but is not a talented player, and will get a shot at OG in Spring. The rest of this bunch is young. DeShawn Williams looks like he could be slotted at NG or the 3, and Grady Jarrett is a NG all the way. I think both can be good players down the road. Tavaris Barnes is a 3-technique pass rushing type but never got on the field. Jerome Maybank comes off a RS and is a definite NG unless he plays OG. Rod Byers seems an eventual 3. Tra Thomas (NG) and Josh Watson (3) have been passed by youngsters and may just be role players, or may leave. We needed a high-level talent at DT, not bodies. Clemson got one in 3-DT Carlos Watkins. Clemson also added NG D.J. Reader, 3-DT Josh Brown, and 3-DT Kevin Dodd. I think the coaches foresee some attrition at this position and filled the needs with good lead time. We actually have too many tackles so moving the tweeners inside and out next month should be expected.

LB - Daniel Andrews is leaving. Clemson really does not need a LB from a numbers perspective, especially when only 3-5 ever played. However it is nice to have up to 12 in a 4-3 defense. Venables' scheme is the 4-3 Over which uses a different WILL and SAM prototype than the previous scheme (and more specifically the SAM), but in much the same fashion as Steele's, he goes to 4-2-5 often and that muddles it a bit. Everyone who played returns but we could cherry-pick since Willard and Hawkins will go after '12. We signed T.J. Burrell, who I would say is better suited to a SS that drops down often instead of a full-time WLB. Clemson lost one, gained one, and isn't in big trouble beyond without major attrition losses. We need to develop what we've got.

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Bryant locker room speech to incoming freshmen

Recruit - Proj. position at CU - HS - any film I can get - vitals - rankings from Rivals and some of our thoughts after looking at their film.

Enrolled Commitments:

Isaiah Battle - OT - Blue Ridge Prep, VA --> Fork Union - HS Film -- 6'7" 270lbs, 3-star Offensive Tackle - #36 OT nationally and #11 in VA out of HS. 4-Star prep OT, #5 overall prep player. Offers from New Mexico and ECU out of HS. Basically he's a project. Football IQ is low and hasn't been taught things, so a year at Fork Union has been greatly beneficial to him. His frame is huge and his speed is very good (4.83 40), he's strong, but needs some coaching. He does not stay low enough, nor does he extend his long arms well enough, but he's got the physical makeup to play for Clemson a lot this fall. We do not think he takes a RS, and project him at least on the 2-deep at LT. He was originally recruited by Andre Powell. Pearman tends to take the mid-atlantic area prep schools.

Kevin Dodd - DT - Riverside HS, Greer SC --> Hargrave Military Academy - no film - 6'5" 280lb, 4.8 40, 3-star DT - #14 player in SC out of HS- #7 overall Prep player and top DT at 4 stars this year in Prep. Clemson is the only offer. Flown under the radar a bit because he didn't take up football until recently, so he's very raw. He has a powerful first step and like most guys this size in HS, he just outmuscles his opponent instead of using his hands or any technique, which is understandable if he has not been coached. Pad level is wayyyyy too high. Guys this size tend to get moved inside to DT eventually, so I do expect him to end up at the 3-technique. Really showed out at the Shrine Bowl Camp, that resulted in him winning the offer. Unlikely to RS. Originally recruited by Andre Powell, with assistance from Jeff Scott. Pearman tends to take the mid-atlantic area prep schools.

Travis Blanks - CB/S - N. Florida Christian HS, Tallahassee FL - Film 1, 2, 3 - 6'1" 195lb 4.4 40', 4-star Safety -- #4 Safety nationally and #12 player in FL, #60 in Rivals100. Offered by everyone in the southeast, but UGA was a prime contender early on. What stands out most is that he's already got the ball skills and instincts you want in an elite CB, along with exceptional speed and good footwork. He's got the frame size to be physical and isn't scared of laying a hit either. Hip flexibility is very good, but he can be overaggressive with his hands. Blanks open field tackling is quite good, showing that he's been taught well on his fundamentals. He is a 2012 US Army All-American. Not a RS. Recruited by Jeff Scott.

Zac Brooks - RB - Jonesboro HS, Jonesboro AR - film - 6'2" 190lb 4.53 40', 4-star Athlete - #15 athlete and #202 in the Rivals250, #1 player in Arkansas. Offered by Arkansas, Auburn, Notre Dame and UNC among others. Brooks wasn't even recruited heavily by us until the end of March. Played RB as a Jr and Sr, WR as a soph. He's specifically recruited to be RB here, but in this offense the RB position is meant to be a good receiving position as well. His film shows he will go up for a football and his breakaway speed is outstanding. As a runner he does look like a WR-convert taking the football. He seems to be one of those guys that is simply a good athlete in that he's not excellent in any particular area but is good at everything he tries to do. As a college RB he'd need to add some lower body mass because he's pretty thin on tape. I doubt he takes a RS, unless Bellamy and some others put it all together this offseason. Recruited by The Chad.

Patrick Destefano - OG - Dorman HS, Spartanburg SC -film 1, 2 - 6'4" 275lb 5.3 40', 3-star OT - #28 player in SC. He chose CU over verbal offers from Duke, SC, Penn State, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and UNC among others. He was invited to the US Marines Corp All-American squad. Graded natinnally as a Tackle, but definite Guard here. Played a lot as a blocking H-back/TE at Dorman as well. I’ve seen him play many times over the years, even before his back injury. In my opinion the 5.7 3-star rating is correct, he is not a 4-star caliber player. His foot quickness is good and he moves well for a big guy, so his pass blocking has been OK against some good DEs in the area. The reason why he isn’t rated higher is his run blocking and a lack of strength. At his size, he should dominate more than he does, and since Dorman uses a heavy package out of the Wildcat, I would’ve expected him to show up more on run film than pass, and he doesn’t. Needs to use his legs better to drive people, and get lower. Doesn't seem to play angry and needs to hit the weight room. Definite RS. Recruited by Jeff Scott.

Jay Guillermo - OC - Maryville HS, Maryville TN - film 1, film 2 film 3- 6'2" 287lb 3-star OC - #13 Center overall, #17 player in TN. Pursued by Miami FL and Cincinatti, but ended his recruitment very quickly last winter. US Army All-Combine team Center and AA. Always felt like Guillermo was a bit underrated, because he's done well at camps. Needs to work on his punches but has really good pad level and power off the snap, and holds his leverage well. Likely RS, but watch what they do with Norton in this position. Recruited by Dan Brooks.

Oliver Jones - OT - Ninety-Six HS, Ninety-Six SC - film - 6'6" 320lb 3-star OT - #17 player in SC. Offers from SC, ECU, NC and NC State. Had he not suffered the ACL injury that cost him his Jr season, there likely would be far more offers on his plate, and a maybe higher rating, but his knee bend is good in a pass set. Having seen Jones, I'm not thrilled with his lack of aggression at all. He needs to reshape his body a little because he's put on some weight. Also he needs lateral footwork coaching, which is bad because he's more of a pass blocker than rush, and thats because of that lack of aggressiveness. He just isn't a mean player yet. That is why I feel the 3-star rating is correct. Athletically he's got it, however. Likely RS. Recruited by Charlie Harbison and Jeff Scott.

Bradley Pinion - P - NW Cabarrus HS, Concord NC - film, film 2 - 6'5" 220lb 3-star Kicker - #4 Kicker nationally. Offered by UNC, ECU and TCU. At just about every camp he attends, he kicked off through the endzone and boomed punts as long as 65+ yards. Only complaint I see anywhere is that he's slow with the punt, and despite his booming kicks at camps, his HS Jr. average was still 38yds. US Army All-American. Highly unlikely to RS. Recruited by Brooks initially, then Pearman.

Martin Aiken - DE - Bamberg-Ehrhardt HS, Bamberg SC -film, film 2, film 3 - 6'3" 245lb 4.9 40' 3-star DE - #25 SDE nationally and #8 player in SC. Offered by GT, Auburn, SCe, UNC, USC, and Tennessee among others. Grew up a Clemson fan and was coming here all along. Aiken is listed as a Strongside End but at this weight he's almost guaranteed to be moved to Bandit End until he grows. His best skill on tape is his first step off the snap, but he's not so much a power guy as he is simply faster than everyone he faces. Aiken is very quick for a big guy and his agility/footwork is good for his size. As good as his footwork is, with the addition of Hobby's hand technique teaching, he could be a very good football player here. He even has a reputation as a mean player, so I like him already. Unlikely to RS, but depends bigtime on Lawson too (see below). Recruited by Marion Hobby.

Josh Brown - DT - South Aiken HS, Aiken SC - film 1, film 2 - 6'4" 292lb 4.91 40' 3-star DT - #19 player in SC. Had no notable offers. High 2-star/low 3 is accurate. Brown has largely flown under the radar and his possible academic troubles have scared away some programs. He has good foot quickness for a big guy, but his pad level is high, which is normal for a 6'4" guy in HS. And it is possible he tries out along the OL if the numbers crunch at DT kept him off the field. He played OT as a Junior. Registered 90 tackles, 22 TFL and 8 sacks as a senior. An aggressive and strong player as well. Definite RS. Recruited by Harbison with Brooks.

T.J. Burrell - WLB/SS - Goose Creek HS, Goose Creek SC - film 1, 2, 3 - 5'11" 200lb 4.7 40 3-star OLB - #26 player in SC. Offered by SC, Illinois. Plays for former Danny Ford assistant Chuck Reedy. I think a low 3-star/high 2-star rating is accurate. Burrell is not quite bulky enough to play SAM or MIKE, and would be a WILL linebacker or SS here. Size is really the main question mark for Burrell. As a player he's fast and likes to hit. He doesn't wrap up as well as I'd like. His pad level is good and you can tell he's been coached on his fundamentals. He sets his base and takes on the blocker like you would want to see. His backpedal/slide can be cleaned up some but he's got a good starting point. His highlight film even shows him in coverage, which is rare for LBs. Given what Clemson has at LB, I'm not thrilled with this commitment. I think CU could've gotten a better player here but didn't try hard enough earlier on in the process. I expect a RS. Recruited by Tony Elliott.

Ronald Geohaghan - SS - Allendale-Fairfax HS, Fairfax SC - film 1, film 2, film 3 - 6'0" 185lb 4.59 40' 4-star Safety. #10 Safety overall and #5 player in SC, formerly Rivals250. Offers from UNC, NC State, SC. Probably a SS at Clemson. A safety that plays more like a linebacker, and played LB as a Jr. Good speed, and plays aggressive to the ball. He'll need to really work on his coverage skills because he looks a bit weak there. I expect a RS. Recruited by Marion Hobby.

Germone Hopper - WR - Phillip Berry Academy, Charlotte NC - film 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - 6'0" 165lb 4.4 40' 4-star WR. #11 WR nationally and #5 player in NC, #75 in Rivals100. Would be higher if he was bigger. Offers from everywhere. Hopper is tailor-made for this offense because he's a bit of a tweener slot WR/back. His agility and explosiveness are great, hands are good, and his feet move so fast that you can't see them. This one can be a special player. Will not RS. Grew up a Clemson fan, recruited by Dan Pearman.

Chad Kelly - QB - St. Josephs, Buffalo NY - film 1, film 2, film 3 - 6'3" 208lb 4.6 40' 4-star QB. #1 in NY, #4 QB nationally and #150 national player. Offered by Alabama, Penn State, FSU, Michigan State. Physically he is a fit for our system, and his coaching on footwork has been good on film, but we saw some happy feet in the UA game. He throws really well on the run and the system he played in HS translates well to our own. His arm strength is not the greatest, but otherwise his mechanics are pretty sound and he throws a nice enough ball. He has a bit of a tendency to take it himself too much, but I'm not alarmed with that....pretty standard for a HS QB that can run this good. My problem is more off-the-field. Chad has played on 3 teams because he's quit or got kicked off, for reasons I do not know. At one time he played in Pennsylvania and was dismissed from his team midseason, after that he moved to Buffalo. He already called out Cole Stoudt on twitter, where I'm sure his days as an account holder are numbered. Dabo better put him on twitter lockdown from Day 1. All that I can say is that I get a "prima donna" vibe here and I never like that. I doubt he takes a RS, but I would put him on one. Recruited by Chad Morris.

Shaq Lawson - DE - Daniel HS, Central SC - no avail film - 6'3" 240lb 4.6 40' 4-star DE. #3 player in SC, #19 DE overall. Offered by Maryland and Tennesee as well, but was Clemson's all the way. His motor and first step looks very good on highlight clips, which is always the first thing to look at with a defensive lineman, and his long arms and overall lower body strength is good. Speed is very good, pad level is good too. I think 4-stars is right for him, and I don't think he has gotten the pub that he should've. I don't think he RSs, but it may depend on which DE can play Weakside behind Crawford (him or Aiken) in '12. Hard to say who gets credit for the commit here, since the school is right there at CU. We'll give it to Steele and Hobby.

Jay Jay McCullough - TE - Nation Ford HS, Fort Mill SC - film 1, film 2, film 3 - 6'5" 232lb 4.5 40' 3-star Athlete. #27 player in SC. An incredibly athletic, physically imposing prospect, McCullough is a high school running back with breakaway speed. At camps this spring and summer McCullough showed his athletic ability, beating many top defensive prospects deep. However, he was unable to turn most of those opportunities into big plays, and showed he was not very comfortable as a TE at this point. I expect a RS. Recruited by Jeff Scott.

Cordrea Tankersley - S - Silver Bluff HS, Aiken SC - film - 6'2" 195lb 4.4 40' 3-star Safety. #10 player in SC, and #39 safety nationally. Offers from Miami and SC. Tankersley has been recruited to play DB at Clemson, but plays both ways at Silver Bluff and is the QB, leading rusher, and a part-time pass defender. Unfortunately there is not enough film of him as a DB to get a solid footing for any assessment of his ability with the ball in the air. I would bet that he needs considerable attention to his footwork if he played mostly offense. I can see that he's going to be big a CB if he goes that route, but his frame says Safety, and he doesnt appear to be scared of laying a hit, and has a developed lower body (arms are pretty skinny still). He's a bit stiff on defense, so I wouldnt be surprised to see him ever line up at WR, but he did OK at DB in the Shrine Bowl. I expect him to RS. Recruited by Charlie Harbison.

Carlos Watkins - DT - Chase HS, Forest City NC - film - 6'4" 275lbs 5.2 40' 4-star DT. #8 DT overall, #104 in Rivals250 and #7 player in NC. Offered by everyone, but Florida was the true competition. Carlos Watkins is the type of top-flight DT that Clemson needed to pull in this year. Watkins is big, even for a HS tackle, and a powerful rusher. His first step is really quick, and his shuttle time of 4.66 is pretty good for the size. Chase does not play the best competition, but what he does face he dominates. He has a decent rip move, but he will need real technique work to dominate this way in college. Not a refined pass rusher, Carlos is one of those guys who bulldozes HS OL because he's so much bigger. Plays high with his pads, which isnt uncommon at 6'4, but he does use his hands well. I think he could play the NG or 3, but probably starts out at 3. Even with our high numbers at DT because of the large class we took in the last cycle, I do not see Watkins taking a redshirt in 2012. Recruited by Dan Brooks.

Marty Williams - CB/S - Fox Creek HS, N. Augusta SC - film 1, film 2- 6'1" 200lbs 4.6 40' 3-star Athlete. #47 athlete nationally and #16 player in SC. Offered by ECU, SC, Notre Dame and Miami. It is debatable how many were committable offers aside from ECU. He's not so high regarded more because of grades than ability. We think Williams is better than Elder, a high 4-star DB in Alabama who considered CU strongly. Williams' rating of 3 stars is fair only in that he doesn't get much opportunity to showcase his coverage skills as the QB at Fox Creek. In that sense he's in a similar situation as Cordrea Tankersley. We don't have much to grade besides his athleticism, but we do notice the hip flexibility. Because of that lack of defensive work, he would likely be a RS.

D.J. Reader - NG - Grimsley HS, Greensboro NC - film, film 2, film 3 - 6'3" 306lb 4.98 40' 3-star OG. #20 player in NC and #19 OG nationally. Prime contender for him was Maryland, but was offered by UNC, Auburn, and SC. Reader was recruited to play OG at some places but is set to play Nose Guard on defense here. Reader doesn't have the great first step, but his pads stay low enough, his motor runs, and he plays mean. On film he's another guy who uses his size and muscle to beat his opponent instead of technique. I could see how some offered him as an OG as well because he does anchor well. He wants to play baseball as well, but he'd better be in good shape to play for Jack Leggett. Likely RS. Recruited by Dan Brooks.

Clemson had a commitment from Javarius Leamon, who was the in-state OT we wanted most. Unfortunately he won't sign a LOI because his grades are so bad, but Clemson offered to place him in a JUCO or a call to SC State. It appears that is where he'll go.

We want to examine many aspects of new defensive coordinator Brent Venables. For those of you not familiar with Venables, TDP looked at him as a possible head coaching candidate here at Clemson in 2008. During this search, we briefly profiled him here. We also gave our two-cents on him as a possible HC candidate what seems like ages ago in the immediate post-Tom Bowden era. From the above linked article, the following was said about his recruiting prowess:

Recruiting? He's an outstanding recruiter. He's a younger high-energy guy similar to Muschamp. Many of their best recruits this year are on the defensive side. You can see the players he's pulled in here. His ties are mostly in Texas and Oklahoma, not the southeast.

Clearly, he had our respect on the recruiting trail three plus years ago and still has our attention regarding the talent he brought to Norman during his time there. Obviously ESPN noticed this as well, saying the following his decision to leave OU for Clemson (courtesy ESPN.com)

But as much as the Sooners will miss Venables as a coordinator and linebackers coach, they will miss him just as much as an ace recruiter.

Ronnell Lewis, Demontre Hurst, Tom Wort, Corey Nelson, Austin Box, Jamell Fleming and DeMarco Murray are just a few of the standouts Venables had a hand in recruiting to Norman in recent years.

He also was the assistant who secured two of OU's top verbal commitments in this recruiting class: safety Eric Striker and running back Daniel Brooks. Venables also was the primary assistant recruiting California cornerback Brandon Beaver, who is scheduled to visit OU this weekend.

Not that we didn't believe ESPN, but we wanted to look at his recruiting record ourselves and attained information dating back to NSD 2006. Please note that all data (including "star rating") came from www.rivals.com and their Oklahoma site, Sooner Scoop.

Overall Recruiting Performance (since '06):

--note that the average is players signed per year while AVG star rating is the overall average from the 2006 class to 2011 class.

As shown below (table featuring all players recruited by BV since '06), Brent has done a fine job on the recruiting trail. He has been the primary/responsible recruiter for no fewer than four (4) players signed in any cycle and has been attributed as the primary/responsible recruiter for seven (7) players signed in 2008 and eight (8) signed in 2009. Venables has been able to maintain quality signees despite his high number of annual signees. Look through his players signed list since ‘06. You'll see plenty of Rivals 4+ star players. 16 of the players he recruited from '06 to '11 were ranked as a Rivals 4 star prospect or better, with two of those players rated at 5 stars. That is 2-2/3 players a cycle with jam up ratings. If you remove last season's pull (all three star athletes), he averages OVER 3 players with a 4 star rating per class.

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The Clemson Tigers go into the third week of December with 20 verbal commitments for their 2012 recruiting class. The Tigers would like to close the class with at least 22 and possibly as many as 25, as things stand today. If we get any more commitments, there will need to be attrition on the current roster.

There is not a clear headliner of the commitments on the board so far, but there are three prospects with cases to be considered Clemson’s top commitment; Tallahassee, FL defensive back Travis Blanks, Forest City, NC defensive tackle Carlos Watkins, and Buffalo, NY quarterback Chad Kelly. Blanks is one of the elite defensive backs in the nation, and an early enrollee who projects to compete for immediate playing time in Clemson’s secondary next year, at corner, safety or nickel. Considering our depth issues at both positions, its unlikely he'd redshirt. Watkins is the best defensive tackle prospect to commit to the Tigers since Brandon Thompson, and he will compete for a spot on the 2-deep as soon as he steps on campus this summer. Kelly is not as highly regarded a prospect as either of the above two, however, he plays the most important position on the field and brings an excellent pedigree and tons of athletic ability to the program. He will certainly be one of Clemson’s most high profile players over the duration of his Tiger career.

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Clemson cruises down to Columbia to do battle with its in-state rival Saturday.  The Tigers again have an opportunity to gain 10 wins for the first time in over 20 years and break a two game losing streak against the Gamecocks.  We'll see how this squad's recruited talent compares to our Clemson Tigers. Before we get into the analysis, I'll point out that I have taken the depth charts for both teams DIRECTLY from the Clemson website (www.clemsontigers.com).  A pdf version of the depth charts can be found here.  I will go ahead and tell you that because of injuries and Monday depth chart adjustments, some items here may end up a little out of place come gametime.  I won't try to interpret or guess.  In an effort to maintain consistency, I'll use both teams' depth charts as presented on the official Clemson Athletics website.

We should not have to tell you this, but some folks debate what to take from these articles. We expect you, the reader, to form an opinion of your own. Often we will give you our take on things, but you should independently form your own thoughts based on information out there.  This article shows recruiting data for the depth chart roster as referenced above.  It does not weigh experience nor does it evaluate coaching, preparation, etc... We think this is an interesting and valuable tool that is useful in overall program evaluation because there is a link between these star ratings and other metrics in both college football and the NFL.

Keep in mind as you look through this data that only players who were officially signed were given a "Star Rating".  Players who were not signed could not be quantitatively assessed a recruiting rating.  Such players get a "NA" rating and were not included in the averaged data.  Again, all data was attained from www.Scout.com and www.Rivals.com.  Players whose Scout/Rivals data was not available but were signed were assigned a "NR".  We picked carefully through the data and believe all is correct.  However, if we've overlooked an item we apologize in advance and ask that you point it out so that we can make the correction in our database.

Figure 1 and Table I both show an average of offensive players, defensive players, and specialist listed on the two-deep roster.   Tables II through IV show the two-deep roster used for analysis along with the recruiting ratings for each player on the depth chart.

I'll point out that Carolina features Bruce Ellington who was a finalist for Mr. Football but chose to sign with the Gamecocks as a basketball player, hence the "N/A" rating throughout.  He was considered a four star by some analysts, so this "N/A" brings down the average.  We chose to stay consistent with assumptions we made at the beginning of the year in this analysis, but think such a point needs to be addressed in advance.

What you'll notice through the data is Clemson has a definitely talent advantage on offense.  Everywhere else is essentially even.  The overall offensive advantage gives Clemson the analysis advantage considering the assumptions made for this exercise.

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Clemson travels to Raleigh to close out ACC play against the NC State Wolfpack.  The Tigers have an opportunity to gain 10 wins for the first time in over 20 years.  We'll see how this squad's recruited talent compares to our Clemson Tigers. Before we get into the analysis, I'll point out that I have taken the depth charts for both teams DIRECTLY from the Clemson website (www.clemsontigers.com).  A pdf version of this can be found here.  I will go ahead and tell you that because of injuries and Monday depth chart adjustments, some items here may end up a little out of place come gametime.  I won't try to interpret or guess.  In an effort to maintain consistency, I'll use both teams' depth charts as presented on the official Clemson Athletics website.

We should not have to tell you this, but some folks debate what to take from these articles. We expect you, the reader, to form an opinion of your own. Often we will give you our take on things, but you should independently form your own thoughts based on information out there.  This article shows recruiting data for the depth chart roster as referenced above.  It does not weigh experience nor does it evaluate coaching, preparation, etc... We think this is an interesting and valuable tool that is useful in overall program evaluation because there is a link between these star ratings and other metrics in both college football and the NFL.

Keep in mind as you look through this data that only players who were officially signed were given a "Star Rating".  Players who were not signed could not be quantitatively assessed a recruiting rating.  Such players get a "NA" rating and were not included in the averaged data.  Again, all data was attained from www.Scout.com and www.Rivals.com.  Players whose Scout/Rivals data was not available but were signed were assigned a "NR".  We picked carefully through the data and believe all is correct.  However, if we've overlooked an item we apologize in advance and ask that you point it out so that we can make the correction in our database.

Figure 1 and Table I both show an average of offensive players, defensive players, and specialist listed on the two-deep roster.   Tables II through IV show the two-deep roster used for analysis along with the recruiting ratings for each player on the depth chart.

Again, Clemson has better RECRUITED talent than its opponent.  The Tigers are over a third of a star per player more talented than the Wolfpack and nearly 0.70 stars per player better on average on both defense and special teams.  This equates to a little under a 0.60 star per player advantage on average for our Tigers.

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Clemson hosts the Demon Deacons in a Saturday afternoon contest that very well could decide the ACC Atlantic Division race.  Wake has had some success this season and we are interested in their players.  We'll see how this squad's recruited talent compares to our Clemson Tigers. Before we get into the analysis, I'll point out that I have taken the depth charts for both teams DIRECTLY from the Clemson website (www.clemsontigers.com).  A pdf version of this can be found here.  I will go ahead and tell you that because of injuries and Monday depth chart adjustments, some items here may end up a little out of place come gametime.  I won't try to interpret or guess.  In an effort to maintain consistency, I'll use both teams' depth charts as presented on the official Clemson Athletics website.

We should not have to tell you this, but some folks debate what to take from these articles. We expect you, the reader, to form an opinion of your own. Often we will give you our take on things, but you should independently form your own thoughts based on information out there.  This article shows recruiting data for the depth chart roster as referenced above.  It does not weigh experience nor does it evaluate coaching, preparation, etc... We think this is an interesting and valuable tool that is useful in overall program evaluation because there is a link between these star ratings and other metrics in both college football and the NFL.

Keep in mind as you look through this data that only players who were officially signed were given a "Star Rating".  Players who were not signed could not be quantitatively assessed a recruiting rating.  Such players get a "NA" rating and were not included in the averaged data.  Again, all data was attained from www.Scout.com and www.Rivals.com.  Players whose Scout/Rivals data was not available but were signed were assigned a "NR".  We picked carefully through the data and believe all is correct.  However, if we've overlooked an item we apologize in advance and ask that you point it out so that we can make the correction in our database.

Figure 1 and Table I both show an average of offensive players, defensive players, and specialist listed on the two-deep roster.   Tables II through IV show the two-deep roster used for analysis along with the recruiting ratings for each player on the depth chart.

Again, Clemson has better RECRUITED talent than its opponent. The Tigers are nearly a full star better on average on offense, 0.8 stars on average better on defense, and 1.13 stars on average better on Special Teams, and 0.9 stars superior on average overall.  Clearly Clemson has killed it in terms of recruited talent when compared to our ACC foes from Winston Salem.

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