CLEMSON – Currently, Clemson’s 2027 recruiting class ranks 14th nationally, according to ESPN, with at least one more commitment still to be decided.

The class boasts one five-star recruit, 10 four-stars and 14 three-stars, giving the Tigers their highest-ranked class since 2022.

Nearly 10 of these players announced their commitments in the immediate days before, during or after Clemson’s main official visit weekend at the end of May, in which most of the Tigers’ top prospects were on campus. During these visits, players are shown around campus on fully paid trips, meet all of Clemson’s staff, and participate in activities such as a scavenger hunt, in addition to touring the facilities.

Clearly, as seen by all of the commitments and accompanying social media praise, the weekend was a huge success for head coach Dabo Swinney and his staff. 

Clemson’s Director of Recruiting Ty Clements broke down what goes into planning that weekend, as well as the recruiting process in general, with The Clemson Insider at Dabo Swinney’s local media outing at the Allen N. Reeves Football Facility.

“Recruiting stuff never ends, so whether it’s fall, summer, spring, we’re always recruiting,” Clements said. “So assisting the coaches, however we can, recruiting on our own, helping get ready for the upcoming season, it’s just being a support role to our coaches and helping them with the recruiting operation.”

Clements began his tenure at Clemson as an intern in 2015 after graduating from West Virginia University. He worked his way up to a Recruiting Coordinator position in 2016, Director of Recruiting Strategy in 2022, and now is in his fourth year in the head recruitment position.

Clements has now seen over a decade’s worth of recruiting classes roll through Clemson, and says that above all, forming meaningful relationships is the key to his job, whether in planning official visits or evaluating new players. 

“I’m big on the relationships with all the prospects, so I have great relationships with them and their families,” he said. “I’m constantly communicating with them and just helping our coaches however we can and getting these guys back on campus. Big priority right now is getting all these guys back on campus for the season as many times as we can.”

The key, Clements said, to getting recruits back on campus for second, third and fourth visits is to make them feel special every single time they set foot in South Carolina’s Upstate– whether that is on an official visit with 30 other players, spring’s large Elite Retreat or in a small group in the middle of the summer.

While merchandise displays and elaborate tours play a key role in securing commitments, the newly formed in-person relationships are the key to a successful official visit weekend, as in this year’s showing.

Clements personally knows how powerful and lasting these relationships can be, as he was just invited to former Clemson defensive end K.J. Henry’s wedding, after recruiting him a decade ago. 

“I think that’s really the secret sauce, and that’s the key here,” Clements said. “We make genuine relationships with all the prospects and the families, and that’s how we make that big visit so special. But really, all of those visits, it’s how they feel when they step on campus. Everyone says this campus is different, and I think that’s because of the people we have here. Obviously, great university. The campus is unbelievable from the top to the bottom, but they can feel it when they step on campus.”

Once players are on campus, Clements begins to look at how recruits interact with other high school players and current Clemson players, drawing on experience when it comes to “culture fits” in the program. Using an old Swinney adage, “How you do anything is how you do everything,” Clements can quickly pick out what players will fit the non-football requirements of being a Clemson student-athlete.

“We want guys that kind of are good at everything that they do,” he said. “That aren’t just football players. We want to have good football IQ, good football character as well. But we want guys that fit what we have here.”

Clements saw those traits in the freshman class that just arrived on campus, either this summer or back in January. 

The group may not have been one of the Tigers’ highest-rated classes at 25th in the country, but through watching a 7-6 season for Clemson’s team last year, they stuck together and remained loyal to the program, something Clements would label “good football character.”

He said the transition for the group of 22 freshmen has been smooth thus far, and the unit has “fit right in.”

For that group, and for the class of 2027, the pitch to come to Clemson may not have been as easy as it was in 2016 or 2018, fresh off of the Tigers’ two national championships and well-documented success with all assistant coaches. Additionally, the process is also entirely different with Name, Image and Likeness compensation than it was 10, or even five, years ago.

However, for doubters, Clements’ message is simple.

“I’d say, hey, we still have the best head coach in the country,” Clements said. “Yeah, there’s been some changes and different people coming in and out, but we still have the best head coach in the country, and we believe in him, and we’re gonna do it.”

After years of going through the recruiting process, the Tigers’ freshmen class will finally get their first opportunity to put on the orange and white on Sept. 5, when Clemson will open its season against LSU in Baton Rouge, La.

“We’re gonna have a great season,” Clements said.