The optimism around the addition of Matt Luke and Chris Rumph was very clear, and it’s already paying dividends on the recruiting trail.

Let’s start with Clemson’s new defensive ends coach. He was the talk of the town after his animated practices ahead of the Gator Bowl and now a month later, he’s struck gold in recruiting.

Rumph landed four-star edge rusher Ari Watford, who will likely be a five-star by the end of the cycle as he’s the top pass rusher according to multiple outlets. That’s just the start for him, but it came out of nowhere.

For Luke, it’s been all great things when talking to offensive line recruits. Ziyare Addison, Mal Waldrep and Max Buchanan spoke highly of Luke. The latter even detailed how coaches from other schools praised the journeyman coach. If that doesn’t speak volumes on his impact, nothing else will.

The landing is still necessary for Luke, and the upcoming weekend at Elite Junior Day to work with these recruits on the field could be the key to his pitch. If he makes a large impact on this group, it could lead to crucial commitments in the 2025 cycle.

Taking over the recruitment of players after staff changes is no easy feat, but Clemson’s new staff is doing just that. Match that with what Luke and Rumph bring to the coaching side, and head coach Dabo Swinney may have hit the jackpot with these changes.