CLEMSON – Earlier this week, former Clemson defensive tackle Michael Dean Perry was named to Clemson’s famed Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium.

Perry’s induction was long overdue and well-deserved in my mind. So, it got me thinking, who else deserves to be in the Ring of Honor?

The Ring of Honor is the highest award bestowed by Clemson Athletics. Recipients must have made an outstanding contribution to the heritage of Clemson Athletics, must be a member of the Clemson Athletic Hall of Fame and be a graduate of a four-year institution for consideration.

Perry becomes the ninth former player in the Ring of Honor at Memorial Stadium, joining Jerry Butler, Fred Cone, Jeff Davis, Steve Fuller, Terry Kinard, Levon Kirkland, Banks McFadden and C.J. Spiller. Coaches Danny Ford and Frank Howard, as well as longtime Sports Information Director Bob Bradley, are also on the stadium’s façade.

It is a great list of Clemson legends. However, think about the former Tigers who are not on there, though. There are a lot of noteworthy candidates.

We all know Dabo Swinney will join Howard and Ford one day. Then think about all the All-Americans and superstars that have played for Swinney the last 16 years. He already has one in the Ring of Honor in Spiller.

DeAndre Hopkins and Sammy Watkins will likely follow in the years to come, and maybe Tajh Boyd, too.

Look at the list of names who are not on there from the Danny Ford years. Jeff and Joe Bostic, Jim Stuckey, Perry Tuttle, Donnell Woolford and Terry Allen to name a few.

Then there is Brian Dawkins, Woodrow Dantzler, Rod Gardner, Keith Adams, Justin Miller and Gaines Adams from the Tommy West and Tommy Bowden years.

Then there are the players who have played under Swinney. Can you imagine that list?

Da’Quan Bowers, Dwayne Allen, Vic Beasley, Shaq Lawson, MacKensie Alexander, Mike Williams, Christian Wilkins, Dexter Lawrence, Clelin Ferrell, Isaiah Simmons, A.J. Terrell, Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne and maybe a few more before Swinney hangs up his whistle.

Those are the 24 former players that any Clemson fan can make a legitimate argument for being in the Ring of Honor and probably some I left out, to be honest. I am not saying all of them will get their name on the Ring of Honor.

However, some, or most of them, will. I wonder how Clemson will handle that logistically in the future?

I guess that is not my worry.

All I can say is that I would not want to be on the Clemson selection committee for the Ring of Honor the next 20 years. That is going to be a hard job.