but the tide has definitely turned in recent years.
Spurrier was mediocre at SC his first few years. But he took advantage of Bowden's firing and Dabo's singular focus ( no recruiting during interim period) on getting the job with wins on the field in 2008 and then used that momentum to follow up with the best in state classes SC has ever seen.
The in state haul in recruiting on signing day in 2009 after the 2008 season was so lopsided that it shifted the needle to the Coots favor for several years. It shouldn't have taken 5 years to overcome on the field but it did. It also helped Spurrier in that the state of SC had an unusually large number of really high 4 - 5 star national recruits during that stretch of 2009 to 20011.
In 2009 the Coots got Stephone Gilmore, DeVonte Holloman, Damario Jeffery, Alshon Jeffery and Chris Payne. Clemson got Brandon Thomas, Malliciah Goodman, Hot Rod and J.K. Jay. Jay never played a down and it took a while but Thomas became a good OL for us and Goodman had a great final game against LSU. Hot Rod was a contributor in 2012 and the leading rusher in 2013. But you look at that class for the Coots. Most of them were Clemson leans or commitments prior to Bowden's firing. And that class laid the foundation for the Cocks winning ways almost immediately. Gilmore was a big reason the Cocks beat Clemson his freshmen year and in future years.
The next year the Coots got Marcus Lattimore, Bruce Ellington via basketball, A.J. Cann and Kelcy Quarles. The Tigers got Martavis Bryant but he did not qualify until 2011 and DeAndre Hopkins but you can see where SC had an advantage and was building momentum over us at this point especially beating us for Lattimore, Cann and Quarles.
In 2011 the Coots got Jadeveon Clowney a 3rd Mr SC in a row and the nation's number 1 recruit, Brandon Shell, Phillip Dukes, Shon Carson and Jarrell Adams. The Gamecocks signed all five, plus Shamier Jeffery. Clemson signed Charone Peake, Lateek Townsend and Tony McNeal in state that year but landed a great class out of state. Only 1 in state player panned out for Tigers in Peake but he has been limited by injuries.
Those 3 classes were the foundation of Spurrrier's success over the Tigers on the field.
By 2012 things start evening out in state and the state of SC doesn't have as many high profile national recruits. I think this is the beginning of the pendulum swinging towards the Tigers in recruiting but it still took a few more years to show up on the field because of the Coots past success in state in recruiting.
In 2012 the Coots got Shaq Roland and Kwinton Smith while Clemson picked up Cordrea Tankersley, Ronald Geohaghan, Martin Aiken and Shaq Lawson. Looking back Clemson won the in state battle here in my opinion but it took a while to show up on the field.
In 2013 the Coots got D.J. Park, Bryce King and Gerald Turner. The Tigers won Ben Boulware, Jadar Johnson and Mike Williams. I think the Tigers got the better players in state again.
2014 was not a great year for in state prospects. Donell Stanley, Dexter Wideman, Shaq Davidson and K.C. Crosby picked the Gamecocks. Cannon Smith and Jae’lon Oglesby signed with Clemson. Oglesby did not qualify and will never enroll at Clemson. I give the edge to SC in state in 2014, but Clemson got a kid named Deshaun that year from nearby Georgia and several other high profile Ga recruits that year to make up for a down year in state.
And in 2015 South Carolina signed Shameik Blackshear and Zack Bailey, but Clemson landed the best prospects in Albert Huggins, Noah Green, Kelly Bryant and Kaleb Chalmers. Clemson clearly won the instate battle in 2015.
So far for 2016 the Tigers have verbals from the state's top prospect in Tavien Feaster and 3rd best in Nyles Pinckney. South Carolina’s only top-10 pledge is Bryan Edwards. John Simpson is still on the board and is the number 2 prospect.
You can't judge the overall effectiveness of a recruiting class purely on in state battles alone, but a trend is emerging that I like to see. The Tigers are winning the in state battle and keeping the top prospects out of Columbia and away from poachers like FSU and Tenn. Clemson is also showing an ability to land out of region national prospects to fill in needs and make classes great. Clemson can't be a Top 5-10 program year in and year out by only winning the in state battle, but Clemson can never afford to lose in state recruiting for a long stretch either. Clemson needs to win the in state battle and get great kids within the region of NC, Ga, Va and Fl. And to be truly elite they have to be able to land a few national kids from out of region like Christian Wilkins as well.
I just think when you look back you see that what made the Coots good for that stretch was winning the in state battle in 3 really good years high school recruiting in SC. That hasn't happened regularly since 2011 and I don't see the Coots overtaking Clemson again in state under Spurrier. There is too much uncertainty with Spurrier and Clemson has improved so many aspects of the program over the last 5 years under Dabo when it comes to facilities, marketing, building the national brand and big wins on the field. When you look at the decline in in state recruiting at SC and the enormous gamble on JUCO kids for a quick fix....this is why I think Spurrier retires soon and leaves them in a bigger hole than when he got there.
Spurrier was mediocre at SC his first few years. But he took advantage of Bowden's firing and Dabo's singular focus ( no recruiting during interim period) on getting the job with wins on the field in 2008 and then used that momentum to follow up with the best in state classes SC has ever seen.
The in state haul in recruiting on signing day in 2009 after the 2008 season was so lopsided that it shifted the needle to the Coots favor for several years. It shouldn't have taken 5 years to overcome on the field but it did. It also helped Spurrier in that the state of SC had an unusually large number of really high 4 - 5 star national recruits during that stretch of 2009 to 20011.
In 2009 the Coots got Stephone Gilmore, DeVonte Holloman, Damario Jeffery, Alshon Jeffery and Chris Payne. Clemson got Brandon Thomas, Malliciah Goodman, Hot Rod and J.K. Jay. Jay never played a down and it took a while but Thomas became a good OL for us and Goodman had a great final game against LSU. Hot Rod was a contributor in 2012 and the leading rusher in 2013. But you look at that class for the Coots. Most of them were Clemson leans or commitments prior to Bowden's firing. And that class laid the foundation for the Cocks winning ways almost immediately. Gilmore was a big reason the Cocks beat Clemson his freshmen year and in future years.
The next year the Coots got Marcus Lattimore, Bruce Ellington via basketball, A.J. Cann and Kelcy Quarles. The Tigers got Martavis Bryant but he did not qualify until 2011 and DeAndre Hopkins but you can see where SC had an advantage and was building momentum over us at this point especially beating us for Lattimore, Cann and Quarles.
In 2011 the Coots got Jadeveon Clowney a 3rd Mr SC in a row and the nation's number 1 recruit, Brandon Shell, Phillip Dukes, Shon Carson and Jarrell Adams. The Gamecocks signed all five, plus Shamier Jeffery. Clemson signed Charone Peake, Lateek Townsend and Tony McNeal in state that year but landed a great class out of state. Only 1 in state player panned out for Tigers in Peake but he has been limited by injuries.
Those 3 classes were the foundation of Spurrrier's success over the Tigers on the field.
By 2012 things start evening out in state and the state of SC doesn't have as many high profile national recruits. I think this is the beginning of the pendulum swinging towards the Tigers in recruiting but it still took a few more years to show up on the field because of the Coots past success in state in recruiting.
In 2012 the Coots got Shaq Roland and Kwinton Smith while Clemson picked up Cordrea Tankersley, Ronald Geohaghan, Martin Aiken and Shaq Lawson. Looking back Clemson won the in state battle here in my opinion but it took a while to show up on the field.
In 2013 the Coots got D.J. Park, Bryce King and Gerald Turner. The Tigers won Ben Boulware, Jadar Johnson and Mike Williams. I think the Tigers got the better players in state again.
2014 was not a great year for in state prospects. Donell Stanley, Dexter Wideman, Shaq Davidson and K.C. Crosby picked the Gamecocks. Cannon Smith and Jae’lon Oglesby signed with Clemson. Oglesby did not qualify and will never enroll at Clemson. I give the edge to SC in state in 2014, but Clemson got a kid named Deshaun that year from nearby Georgia and several other high profile Ga recruits that year to make up for a down year in state.
And in 2015 South Carolina signed Shameik Blackshear and Zack Bailey, but Clemson landed the best prospects in Albert Huggins, Noah Green, Kelly Bryant and Kaleb Chalmers. Clemson clearly won the instate battle in 2015.
So far for 2016 the Tigers have verbals from the state's top prospect in Tavien Feaster and 3rd best in Nyles Pinckney. South Carolina’s only top-10 pledge is Bryan Edwards. John Simpson is still on the board and is the number 2 prospect.
You can't judge the overall effectiveness of a recruiting class purely on in state battles alone, but a trend is emerging that I like to see. The Tigers are winning the in state battle and keeping the top prospects out of Columbia and away from poachers like FSU and Tenn. Clemson is also showing an ability to land out of region national prospects to fill in needs and make classes great. Clemson can't be a Top 5-10 program year in and year out by only winning the in state battle, but Clemson can never afford to lose in state recruiting for a long stretch either. Clemson needs to win the in state battle and get great kids within the region of NC, Ga, Va and Fl. And to be truly elite they have to be able to land a few national kids from out of region like Christian Wilkins as well.
I just think when you look back you see that what made the Coots good for that stretch was winning the in state battle in 3 really good years high school recruiting in SC. That hasn't happened regularly since 2011 and I don't see the Coots overtaking Clemson again in state under Spurrier. There is too much uncertainty with Spurrier and Clemson has improved so many aspects of the program over the last 5 years under Dabo when it comes to facilities, marketing, building the national brand and big wins on the field. When you look at the decline in in state recruiting at SC and the enormous gamble on JUCO kids for a quick fix....this is why I think Spurrier retires soon and leaves them in a bigger hole than when he got there.
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