I am starting to think that being in the ACC is actually better for Clemson's recruiting than if we were elsewhere. The following is why I believe this to be true. I believe that Clemson is geographically located to take advantage of 3 key recruiting territories: North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. These areas are producing enough talent to provide the meat of the roster. Being in the ACC also gives even greater ties to NC. Geographically, Clemson is close to a lot of top talent rich areas in Georgia and has always recruited well here. Finally, Clemson will always be able to recruit most in-state kids when it sets its mind to it, with the exception of the 1 or 2 that are diehard childhood fans of the coots.
The added benefit the ACC brings is a strong connection to the entire east coast that comes with the ACC footprint. Even though several New England states aren't specifically tied to the ACC, it is in an ACC salad with Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College. Louisville, Virginia and VT also give in roads to the mid-atlantic region.
Clemson also maintains a heavy presence in the state of Florida. Miami and FSU provide the game opportunities for recruits close to home much the same way Syracuse, BC and Pitt do up north.
However, from another perspective maybe its actually Clemson's presence in the ACC that allows us to be so successful in the recruiting scene. I think that Clemson's own brand is primarily what sells but Clemson is also one of the top 2 teams in the conference not just in recent success but also in other things. Clemson has some of the richest ACC tradition and is somewhat a leader in the conference (from a football/ baseball standpoint). I believe that ultimately conference affiliation only matters to a few recruits who also seem to be less of a fit to our university. The majority of our recruits come from within a hundred miles or so with a few guys coming from different parts of the east coast. Finally, the most important part of recruiting boils down to your ability to evaluate and recruit talent, develop that talent, and then build off of recent success. Effort and honesty go a long way in recruiting. Couple that with wins and you start to see success breeding success. The ACC isn't a bad deal and our #6 ranking at 4-0 proves that we are just fine. Like they say, Just Win.
The added benefit the ACC brings is a strong connection to the entire east coast that comes with the ACC footprint. Even though several New England states aren't specifically tied to the ACC, it is in an ACC salad with Syracuse, Pitt, Boston College. Louisville, Virginia and VT also give in roads to the mid-atlantic region.
Clemson also maintains a heavy presence in the state of Florida. Miami and FSU provide the game opportunities for recruits close to home much the same way Syracuse, BC and Pitt do up north.
However, from another perspective maybe its actually Clemson's presence in the ACC that allows us to be so successful in the recruiting scene. I think that Clemson's own brand is primarily what sells but Clemson is also one of the top 2 teams in the conference not just in recent success but also in other things. Clemson has some of the richest ACC tradition and is somewhat a leader in the conference (from a football/ baseball standpoint). I believe that ultimately conference affiliation only matters to a few recruits who also seem to be less of a fit to our university. The majority of our recruits come from within a hundred miles or so with a few guys coming from different parts of the east coast. Finally, the most important part of recruiting boils down to your ability to evaluate and recruit talent, develop that talent, and then build off of recent success. Effort and honesty go a long way in recruiting. Couple that with wins and you start to see success breeding success. The ACC isn't a bad deal and our #6 ranking at 4-0 proves that we are just fine. Like they say, Just Win.
