By Hale McGranahan.
Just a few hours after Dabo Swinney closed the book on his 2015 signing class, he picked up commitment No. 7 for the 2016 haul.
Even though Signing Day 2016 is a year away, Clemson is about halfway done with the class.
Tight end J.C. Chalk got the ball rolling in June when he committed at the end of camp. Quarterback Zerrick Cooper followed suit in October when he was on campus for a game. Offensive lineman Sean Pollard made it three in December.
Wide receiver T.J. Chase committed on the last day of January when he was on campus for the Elite Junior Day event. Three other Junior Day guests went public on Wednesday: Linebacker Jamie Skalski, wide receiver Cornell Powell and running back Tavien Feaster.
“We’re not in a race to get our recruiting class done,” said Jeff Scott, who just wrapped up his tenure as Clemson’s recruiting coordinator.
“It’s not like we’re trying to see how quickly we can get it filled up,” he said, “But we do want to go after the very best players that we believe will help us win championships, and will also represent Clemson in a first-class way.”
In order for a prospect to commit to Clemson, the decision has to go through coach Swinney.
“I don’t get guys to commit,” he said. “That’s on them. In fact, I talk a lot of guys out of committing, I really do. Coaches, they hate that, but it’s been kind of a philosophy here.
“We’ve had very few issues. Sometimes, a guy, you define commitment, and they’re like, ‘Well, that’s not really what I meant.’ So, they just still want to go through the recruiting process. That’s fine. That’s not a problem at all, but we don’t get anybody to commit. Guys make up their mind.”
It just so happens that today’s age has sped up the process.
“It’s jut a different time. There’s so much information out there. These guys are going to all these camps, going on unofficial visits,” Swinney said. “For us, junior days have become like official visits. We have to put our best foot forward, because we may not get them back. As they go around, I think guys understand the process a lot more. They don’t want to deal with the hassle. That’s why we should have an early signing period. Maybe one day that will happen.”
As for Clemson’s 2016 class, only a few spots remain. The Tigers appear to be in position to take just a few more prospects for the offensive side of the ball, a wide receiver and several offensive linemen. On defense, they’re expected to take as many as three linebackers, a cornerback, defensive end, defensive tackle and punter.
“We only have 11 seniors, so you always have to project a little bit. It’s hard to say 11 right now today,” Swinney said. “Sometimes, a guy transfers, sometimes guys graduate early, sometimes go pro early, sometimes guys get hurt. It’s just a fluid situation where you never really know.”
The class isn’t expected to have well over 20 signees, like the 2015 bunch.
“I would say it’s somewhere in that 12-16 range. Right now, you just don’t know until you go through the process. We have a system in place and a set number, then we adjust as we go through the year, accordingly,” Swinney said.