Early Signing Day has come and gone, and for the defending national champs, there was very little drama. The Tigers coaching staff had all but put the finishing touches on its 2020 recruiting class before today, having already secured verbal commitments from 23 of the 24 players that signed. They were still hopeful they could land DE Jordan Burch, but the five star player out of Columbia ended up going with the hometown Gamecocks.
Despite not landing the nations 8th best player, the Tigers still came away with the top class in the country for the early signing period. If they can hold onto that top spot, it would be the first time in school history that Clemson signs a top ranked class. As of now, Rivals, ESPN, 247 Sports, and even Sports Illustrated have the Tigers as having the best 2020 recruiting class.
Under Dabo Swinney, the programs highest finish in the 247 recruiting rankings came in 2018 when they finished 5th. From 2016-2019, the Tigers had classes that finished 11th, 16th, 7th, and 10th, which was good enough to win two of the last three national championships. With this class, the rest of the country should be quaking in its boots.
Guided by the best coaching staff in the country, Clemson is heading into its fifth consecutive College Football Playoff, and hasn’t dropped a game since the Sugar Bowl following the 2017 season. This coaching staff, with this loaded class, it’s almost unfair.
Included in the class is two of the top three players in the country, both defensive linemen. They have the nations number one DT, SDE, and QB. The have the nations number two DT and the number three RB, CB, and OLB. In total, they landed 6 five star players, three more than Alabama, and two more than Ohio State.
Football games are generally won along the lines of scrimmage, and that is where this class really stands out. They are bringing what looks to be the best offensive line class in program history. They signed six total, four of which are four star players. They are getting the 5th best and 30th best tackles, and three guards that are all ranked inside the top ten at their position. All four defensive linemen they signed are top ten at their positions, the first time ever a school has pulled off that feat.
If anyone is planning on knocking this team off of its perch, they might want to do it this season. The Clemson brand has never been stronger, and the scary part is, it’s still getting stronger. Starting in 2020, the Tigers are going to have to exit the ROY Bus. They are going to be in the one at the front of the line, reserved for the sports top dynasty.
