Thursday May 01, 2008

Five Star Statement

Five Star Statement
When I first heard about Craig Loston’s interest in Clemson I must admit I was very skeptical. You see, I was still thinking like a Clemson Tiger fan of the 1990s. I was still stuck in the days of Hatfield, West and the early Bowden days.

Times are changing in Tigertown and it’s time my attitude changes too.

Loston my never make it to Clemson but he has already had an impact by making me realize more about this staff and how effective they are at this recruiting stuff. Getting a couple of five stars out of Bamberg, SC is one thing but Houston, TX is another. Ricky Sapp grew up a Clemson fan and Da’Quan Bowers’ cousin played at Clemson. Ron West did a masterful job recruiting both and I don’t won’t to diminish his hard work but Clemson did have an in there.

Roscoe Crosby was the first of the Rivals.com 5 stars to sign with the Tigers under Tommy Bowden but he was from Union. Again, Rick Stockstill had to work his butt off to sign Crosby and he beat everyone in the country to do so but geography also helped.

I guess I could have seen it coming when Clemson beat Florida State and Florida with C.J. Spiller. When Dabo Swinney and crew went into the Gators’ backyard it should have sent me a message. But you can’t blame me for still being skeptical.

Maybe all of this started a long time ago. When Bowers committed to Clemson other top prospects noticed. Much like the Spiller signature it sent a message to other prospects. In the state of Florida, others saw Clemson in a different light when Spiller chose to leave the state. Many then took a second look. It’s like they said, “If Clemson is good enough for C.J. Spiller, then maybe it would be good enough for me.”

Bowers and Clemson received a ton of national attention last year especially at the Under Armor All-Star game. On signing day, Bowers and the Tigers enjoyed what looked like an infomercial on ESPN and ESPNU.

Actually Bowers had a direct effect on Loston. I understand the two met each other at a national combine and they hit it off. Loston also credits last Labor Day with his interest in Clemson. Remember the Clemson-FSU game on that Monday night was the highest rated regular season game on the cable network. The atmosphere caught Loston’s eye and began his real interest.

Clemson’s staff has sent a message to three groups of players including one for the first time in years. First, the in-state kids are now given a reason to stay in state. If a player is looking to win at a high level then he can do so right here in the Palmetto state. Second, Clemson has given players in North Carolina, Georgia and Florida a reason to leave the state. At this point there is not a big-time program on the national scene in the state of North Carolina so the Clemson staff has given that option to several of North Carolina’s best players. Not all players in Georgia can go to UGA and some escape to places like Auburn and Tennessee. Now Clemson gives those players another alternative.

The last group that Clemson now has targeted is the national type prospects like Loston from outside of the region. This staff has already been to Texas, Indiana and New York this May.

One of the ways this staff has been able to become so successful is they have identified prospects very early in their high school careers. There is earlier correspondence with prospects with all schools now but Clemson has been able to beat many schools to the punch. Because they have so many early commitments it allows the staff to turn its attention to the next class even earlier. Recruiting is about relationships and trust and the earlier you can build both, the better.

Another factor in this success deals with the staff taking advantage of the positives around the program. Clemson is not Southern Cal, Ohio State or Oklahoma but it has some things other programs do not have. For example, there are few environments in college football like Clemson. The entire game day experience at Clemson is among the best in the business. I know I am biased but others will tell you the same thing. There are very few game days that can compete with Clemson. So the staff has done a terrific job of getting prospects to Death Valley on Saturdays and they have done it very early in many cases.

Another aspect that has worked for the staff is the networking and technology. The world has become smaller through the internet and text messaging. Prospects know about each other before they meet at camps and combines so it makes it easier to connect. Prospects go on the internet and know who is committed to each school and who is leaning to each school. When they meet on unofficial visits they exchange phone numbers, e-mail addresses and myspace or facebook addresses. The prospects talk to each other more than they talk to coaches so they have a good idea of where each is going before the coaches do.

Perhaps the final aspect in this success is the family atmosphere prospects see when they get to Clemson. As Clemson folk we all take pride when we read Joe Sherman’s masterpiece, “There’s Something in These Hills.” But the reason is because it is true. Prospects see that also when they get here. Prospects and their families see the spiritual emphasis here and are also impressed with the academic success. In a world where safety becomes a pressing issue with each growing day, a small southern campus looks more attractive.

This staff has decided to take a backseat to no one. They have decided that their program can compete and they are not shy when it comes to recruiting the nation’s best. This staff works hard but they also work smart. They have given players a reason to come to Clemson and now the momentum seems to continue to gather. If the 2008 team is as good as I think they can be then recruiting will only continue to get better. This is a dangerous program right now.

They have the facilities, the support, some tradition and some momentum. They have the attention of many of the top players across the state, region and country. I guess my attitude needs to change to. No more surprise reaction. No more skepticism.

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