Deon Cain and Hunter Renfrow were quarterbacks in high school. Ray Ray McCloud played running back.

Now, on the eve of the release of the first College Football Playoff poll, all three of the freshmen are critical pieces to the wide receiver rotation for Clemson. Each caught a touchdown for the Tigers’ eighth win of the season.

Cain, who’s second on the team with 322 receiving yards, has caught 16 passes. Renfrow’s hauled in 15 receptions for 247 yards and two scores while McCloud has 23 catches for 211 yards.

“It’s been pretty neat to see those guys,” said co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott, who also serves as the wide receivers coach.

“I think we have to remind ourselves as coaches on the recruiting trail not to get too caught in just guys that play one position, because in high school, you’re going to put your best guys where they can touch the ball.”

Since the hurry-up, no-huddle offense arrived to Clemson in 2011, the Tigers’ coaches have sold a number of different angles to wide receiver recruits.

“Some schools you look at and they’ve got a deep roster,” Scott said. “They play four wide receivers the whole game, so the other five guys are sitting on the sideline.

“It’s pretty easy for us on the recruiting trail to show everything that we’ve accomplished in the passing game and receiving stats…and also to tell them, when you come here, all you’ve got to do is get into the top-six or top-seven and you’re going to play 20 snaps every game as a freshman,” Scott said. “That’s all they want is an opportunity.”

Artavis Scott is first among Clemson wide receivers with 47 receptions for 514 yards and four touchdowns. Charone Peake is third with 19 catches for 273 yards and second with three touchdowns. Germone Hopper and Trevion Thompson, the other two members of this season’s rotation, have combined for 14 catches for 188 yards.

Of the top-seven wide receivers on Clemson’s roster — not counting an injured Mike Williams — Peake and Hopper are the only ones who are draft eligible after this season. Peake is the only senior.

“In our room, we’ve got confidence, really, with all seven of those guys,” Scott said. “It’s the first time in my six or seven years here where I felt that way. The good news is, a lot of them are going to be back for a couple of years.”

Barring transfer or other forms of attrition, Hopper, Scott, Cain, Renfrow, McCloud and Thompson will all be back in 2016.

They’ll be joined by at least two four-star recruits: T.J. Chase and Cornell Powell. And, if things continue trending in the same direction, Diondre Overton will be the third.