The top 50 recruits combined between Clemson and Georgia
By: Larry Williams
From fans' perspective, there's so much about a rivalry that goes beyond what happens on that one day a year when the two teams meet.
Yes, the winner on the field gets bragging rights and all that.
But score is kept in so many ways other than on the scoreboard as fans cross paths in person and online.
So here's another way to keep score as the longing for next season takes on far more gravity than usual.
Let's see where Clemson stands against some of its rivals by combining the two rosters and ranking the top 50 players.
The criteria is pretty simple: Where each player was ranked by Rivals.com as a high school prospect.
The obvious flaw in this method is that sometimes the recruiting analysts get it wrong. Travis Etienne, for example, would unquestionably rank near the top of this list. But since he was a 3-star in the 2017 class, he didn't make the Rivals250 and thus doesn't make this Top 50.
Chris Olave is an outstanding receiver for Ohio State, but he was a 3-star in high school.
Even with that in mind, it's still fun to examine the raw numbers and see where Clemson stands compared to some of its chief competition.
So far we have examined Clemson vs. South Carolina (the Tigers have 34 of the 50 spots), Clemson vs. Ohio State (the Buckeyes have 30 of the 50), Clemson vs. Florida State (Clemson has 30 of the 50 spots) and Clemson vs. Alabama (Alabama has 29 of the 50 spots).
Now we turn our attention to Athens and that group of Bulldogs that Clemson fans love to hate (and the feeling is very much mutual).
Georgia and Clemson haven't played since 2014, and it feels only a matter of time before they meet in the College Football Playoff.
The administrations of both schools have made sure future clashes aren't just theoretical; the Tigers and Bulldogs are scheduled to open the 2021 season in Charlotte, followed by a 2024 game in Atlanta, followed by two home-and-home series in 2029-30 and 2032-33.
This rivalry ran white-hot when the two teams faced each other regularly in the late 1970s and 1980s; at points during that era it felt like Georgia was a bigger rival to Clemson than the team from Columbia.
The animosity has grown recently with Clemson claiming two of the past four national championships and advancing to five consecutive playoffs. Georgia, meanwhile, has been denied glory by failing to close the deal against the same program (Alabama) that Clemson beat to bring home the trophy.
On top of that, last season Georgia somehow lost at home to a 4-8 South Carolina team that Clemson toyed with and could've beaten in its sleep.
On paper, Kirby Smart has elevated Georgia to an elite level. But recruiting national championships will ring hollow the longer the Bulldogs go without claiming their first national title since Dabo Swinney was an 11-year-old (that would be 1980).
When these two get together, whether it's in 2020 or 2021 or both, grab the popcorn.
Georgia leads 28-22 in our Top 50. Here's the breakdown:
1. Bryan Bresee, DL (No. 1, 2020 class)
1. Trevor Lawrence, QB (No. 1, 2018)
3. Nolan Smith, LB (No. 2, 2019)
4. D.J. Uiagalelei, QB (No. 3, 2020)
5. Myles Murphy, DE (No. 4, 2020)
6. Broderick Jones, OL (No. 5, 2020)
7. Xavier Thomas, DE (No. 5, 2018)
8. George Pickens, WR (No. 7, 2019)
8. Kelee Ringo, CB (No. 7, 2020)
10. Demetris Robertson, WR (No. 8, 2016)
11. Jamaree Salyer, OL (No. 9, 2018)
12. Zamir White, RB (No. 10, 2018)
13. Trenton Simpson, LB (No. 11, 2020)
14. Adam Anderson, DE (No. 12, 2018)
14. Tate Ratledge, OL (No. 12, 2020)
16. Andrew Booth, CB (No. 14, 2019)
17. Justyn Ross, WR (No. 15, 2018)
18. Jackson Carman, OT (No. 16, 2018)
19. James Cook, RB (No. 22, 2018)
20. Tyson Campbell, CB (No. 25, 2018)
21. Demarkcus Bowman, RB (No. 26, 2020)
21. K.J. Henry, DE (No. 26, 2018)
23. Joe Ngata, WR (No. 27, 2019)
24. Clay Webb, OL (No. 28, 2019)
25. Kendall Milton, RB (No. 29, 2020)
26. Derion Kendrick, WR/CB (No. 30, 2018)
27. Nakobe Dean, LB (No. 31, 2019)
28. Darnell Washington, TE (No. 32, 2020)
29. Travon Walker, DE (No. 34, 2019)
30. Tyrique Stevenson, CB (No. 35, 2019)
31. Cornell Powell, WR (No. 36, 2016)
32. Quay Walker, LB (No. 38, 2018)
32. Walker Parks, OL (No. 38, 2020)
34. Mekhail Sherman, LB (No. 39, 2020)
35. Jalen Carter, DT (No. 49, 2020)
36. E.J. Williams, WR (No. 50, 2020)
37. Fred Davis, CB (No. 52, 2020)
38. DeMonte Capehart, DT (No. 54, 2020)
38. Lewis Cine, S (No. 54, 2019)
40. Dominick Blaylock, WR (No. 55, 2019)
41. Frank Ladson, WR (No. 56, 2019)
42. Richard LeCounte, S (No. 58, 2017)
43. Nate McBride, LB (No. 60, 2017)
44. Marcus Rosemy, WR (No. 71, 2020)
44. Netori Johnson, OL (No. 71, 2017)
46. Sedrick Van Pran, OL (No. 83, 2020)
47. Sheridan Jones, CB (No. 89, 2019)
48. Mario Goodrich, CB (No. 99, 2018)
49. Mark Webb, WR (No. 101, 2017)
50. LeAnthony Williams, CB (No. 111, 2017)
A few of the important takeaways:
-- The attrition from Georgia's 2018 class just jumps out at you. How far would the Bulldogs slide in a retroactive ranking?
Let's count them up:
Justin Fields, the No. 2 player in the 2018 class, transferred to Ohio State and flourished last season while Jake Fromm fell apart.
Cade Mays (No. 19) and his father gave Georgia the finger and transferred to Tennessee.
Defensive end Brenton Cox (No. 33) transferred to Florida.
Tight end Luke Ford (No. 42) transferred to Illinois.
Linebacker Otis Reese (No. 56) transferred to Ole Miss.
Corner Nadab Joseph (No. 93) never arrived in Athens and ended up at JUCO.
Add in linebacker Jaden Hunter (No. 46, 2017 class), who transferred to Western Kentucky after an arrest. Two other high-profile members of the 2017 class, J.J. Holloman and DeAngelo Gibbs, were fixtures in Smart's dog house and ended up transferring to Florida International and Tennessee, respectively.
That is a major run of attrition.
Maybe this is what Smart was talking about a few months ago when he wondered publicly whether it's even worth it to bring in talented players who aren't truly committed:
"The older I get, the more wiser I get and the more you realize that chasing guys that don't believe in the same principles and values of your university and of your program, they're just not worth it. I mean there's too much time spent on guys that, if you're having to chase them around? It's just not worth it. I mean, you take the guys that want to be there. You go play with the guys that want to be there. Number 1, you will enjoy your job more day to day. Your staff will enjoy it more. But so will the other players. So it's very important to us."
-- After Fromm's early departure for the NFL, Georgia got a high-profile boost when Wake Forest's Jamie Newman transferred to Athens. Newman, a 3-star prospect in the 2016 class, seems to have the goods. But is he good enough to be a truly transformative player that delivers a championship?
-- The Dawgs also procured Florida State tight end Tre' McKitty from the transfer market. McKitty was a 3-star prospect in the 2017 class and had 23 catches for 241 yards last season in Tallahassee.
-- Georgia lost four prominent players early to the 2020 draft: offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson (No. 17, 2017), Fromm (No. 20, 2017), running back D'Andre Swift (No. 35, 2017) and offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (No. 88, 2017).
-- Receiver Demetris Robertson, the No. 8 player in the 2016 class, transferred from Cal and had 30 catches for 333 yards last season.
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By: Larry Williams
From fans' perspective, there's so much about a rivalry that goes beyond what happens on that one day a year when the two teams meet.
Yes, the winner on the field gets bragging rights and all that.
But score is kept in so many ways other than on the scoreboard as fans cross paths in person and online.
So here's another way to keep score as the longing for next season takes on far more gravity than usual.
Let's see where Clemson stands against some of its rivals by combining the two rosters and ranking the top 50 players.
The criteria is pretty simple: Where each player was ranked by Rivals.com as a high school prospect.
The obvious flaw in this method is that sometimes the recruiting analysts get it wrong. Travis Etienne, for example, would unquestionably rank near the top of this list. But since he was a 3-star in the 2017 class, he didn't make the Rivals250 and thus doesn't make this Top 50.
Chris Olave is an outstanding receiver for Ohio State, but he was a 3-star in high school.
Even with that in mind, it's still fun to examine the raw numbers and see where Clemson stands compared to some of its chief competition.
So far we have examined Clemson vs. South Carolina (the Tigers have 34 of the 50 spots), Clemson vs. Ohio State (the Buckeyes have 30 of the 50), Clemson vs. Florida State (Clemson has 30 of the 50 spots) and Clemson vs. Alabama (Alabama has 29 of the 50 spots).
Now we turn our attention to Athens and that group of Bulldogs that Clemson fans love to hate (and the feeling is very much mutual).
Georgia and Clemson haven't played since 2014, and it feels only a matter of time before they meet in the College Football Playoff.
The administrations of both schools have made sure future clashes aren't just theoretical; the Tigers and Bulldogs are scheduled to open the 2021 season in Charlotte, followed by a 2024 game in Atlanta, followed by two home-and-home series in 2029-30 and 2032-33.
This rivalry ran white-hot when the two teams faced each other regularly in the late 1970s and 1980s; at points during that era it felt like Georgia was a bigger rival to Clemson than the team from Columbia.
The animosity has grown recently with Clemson claiming two of the past four national championships and advancing to five consecutive playoffs. Georgia, meanwhile, has been denied glory by failing to close the deal against the same program (Alabama) that Clemson beat to bring home the trophy.
On top of that, last season Georgia somehow lost at home to a 4-8 South Carolina team that Clemson toyed with and could've beaten in its sleep.
On paper, Kirby Smart has elevated Georgia to an elite level. But recruiting national championships will ring hollow the longer the Bulldogs go without claiming their first national title since Dabo Swinney was an 11-year-old (that would be 1980).
When these two get together, whether it's in 2020 or 2021 or both, grab the popcorn.
Georgia leads 28-22 in our Top 50. Here's the breakdown:
1. Bryan Bresee, DL (No. 1, 2020 class)
1. Trevor Lawrence, QB (No. 1, 2018)
3. Nolan Smith, LB (No. 2, 2019)
4. D.J. Uiagalelei, QB (No. 3, 2020)
5. Myles Murphy, DE (No. 4, 2020)
6. Broderick Jones, OL (No. 5, 2020)
7. Xavier Thomas, DE (No. 5, 2018)
8. George Pickens, WR (No. 7, 2019)
8. Kelee Ringo, CB (No. 7, 2020)
10. Demetris Robertson, WR (No. 8, 2016)
11. Jamaree Salyer, OL (No. 9, 2018)
12. Zamir White, RB (No. 10, 2018)
13. Trenton Simpson, LB (No. 11, 2020)
14. Adam Anderson, DE (No. 12, 2018)
14. Tate Ratledge, OL (No. 12, 2020)
16. Andrew Booth, CB (No. 14, 2019)
17. Justyn Ross, WR (No. 15, 2018)
18. Jackson Carman, OT (No. 16, 2018)
19. James Cook, RB (No. 22, 2018)
20. Tyson Campbell, CB (No. 25, 2018)
21. Demarkcus Bowman, RB (No. 26, 2020)
21. K.J. Henry, DE (No. 26, 2018)
23. Joe Ngata, WR (No. 27, 2019)
24. Clay Webb, OL (No. 28, 2019)
25. Kendall Milton, RB (No. 29, 2020)
26. Derion Kendrick, WR/CB (No. 30, 2018)
27. Nakobe Dean, LB (No. 31, 2019)
28. Darnell Washington, TE (No. 32, 2020)
29. Travon Walker, DE (No. 34, 2019)
30. Tyrique Stevenson, CB (No. 35, 2019)
31. Cornell Powell, WR (No. 36, 2016)
32. Quay Walker, LB (No. 38, 2018)
32. Walker Parks, OL (No. 38, 2020)
34. Mekhail Sherman, LB (No. 39, 2020)
35. Jalen Carter, DT (No. 49, 2020)
36. E.J. Williams, WR (No. 50, 2020)
37. Fred Davis, CB (No. 52, 2020)
38. DeMonte Capehart, DT (No. 54, 2020)
38. Lewis Cine, S (No. 54, 2019)
40. Dominick Blaylock, WR (No. 55, 2019)
41. Frank Ladson, WR (No. 56, 2019)
42. Richard LeCounte, S (No. 58, 2017)
43. Nate McBride, LB (No. 60, 2017)
44. Marcus Rosemy, WR (No. 71, 2020)
44. Netori Johnson, OL (No. 71, 2017)
46. Sedrick Van Pran, OL (No. 83, 2020)
47. Sheridan Jones, CB (No. 89, 2019)
48. Mario Goodrich, CB (No. 99, 2018)
49. Mark Webb, WR (No. 101, 2017)
50. LeAnthony Williams, CB (No. 111, 2017)
A few of the important takeaways:
-- The attrition from Georgia's 2018 class just jumps out at you. How far would the Bulldogs slide in a retroactive ranking?
Let's count them up:
Justin Fields, the No. 2 player in the 2018 class, transferred to Ohio State and flourished last season while Jake Fromm fell apart.
Cade Mays (No. 19) and his father gave Georgia the finger and transferred to Tennessee.
Defensive end Brenton Cox (No. 33) transferred to Florida.
Tight end Luke Ford (No. 42) transferred to Illinois.
Linebacker Otis Reese (No. 56) transferred to Ole Miss.
Corner Nadab Joseph (No. 93) never arrived in Athens and ended up at JUCO.
Add in linebacker Jaden Hunter (No. 46, 2017 class), who transferred to Western Kentucky after an arrest. Two other high-profile members of the 2017 class, J.J. Holloman and DeAngelo Gibbs, were fixtures in Smart's dog house and ended up transferring to Florida International and Tennessee, respectively.
That is a major run of attrition.
Maybe this is what Smart was talking about a few months ago when he wondered publicly whether it's even worth it to bring in talented players who aren't truly committed:
"The older I get, the more wiser I get and the more you realize that chasing guys that don't believe in the same principles and values of your university and of your program, they're just not worth it. I mean there's too much time spent on guys that, if you're having to chase them around? It's just not worth it. I mean, you take the guys that want to be there. You go play with the guys that want to be there. Number 1, you will enjoy your job more day to day. Your staff will enjoy it more. But so will the other players. So it's very important to us."
-- After Fromm's early departure for the NFL, Georgia got a high-profile boost when Wake Forest's Jamie Newman transferred to Athens. Newman, a 3-star prospect in the 2016 class, seems to have the goods. But is he good enough to be a truly transformative player that delivers a championship?
-- The Dawgs also procured Florida State tight end Tre' McKitty from the transfer market. McKitty was a 3-star prospect in the 2017 class and had 23 catches for 241 yards last season in Tallahassee.
-- Georgia lost four prominent players early to the 2020 draft: offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson (No. 17, 2017), Fromm (No. 20, 2017), running back D'Andre Swift (No. 35, 2017) and offensive lineman Andrew Thomas (No. 88, 2017).
-- Receiver Demetris Robertson, the No. 8 player in the 2016 class, transferred from Cal and had 30 catches for 333 yards last season.
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