Dabo took over for Bowden during the 2008 season, but I think he got the interim job because he was a great recruiter. So I looked at the 2008 class. He was responsible for several of their top 2008 recruits specifically from the Florida & Alabama area.I am providing nation rank. These are the players Dabo signed as an assistant coach in 2008 and was the primary recruiter.

-Antoine McLain-AL- OT #80 player in the nation
-Jamie Harper- FL (trinity christian)- RB-#39 player
-Xavier Brewer- FL- CB- #139
-Kyle Parker- FL-QB #149
-Rashard Hall- S -FL- #498
-Jaron Brown- WR-SC- #600 (we recruited him& he is in the NFL still)

Signing 5 top 500 recruits from OOS is pretty good. That class was ranked #9 that year.

The 2009 class (Dabo's first as HC) was ranked #36, but was small with only 15 signees, they did land Tahj Boyd and Maliciah Goodman, 2 very good players.

The 2010 Class was ranked #27, but they signed some studs. Martavis Bryant, Deandre Hopkins & Vic Beasley (who was a 3 star TE recruit). Both WRs were from SC.

It was the 2011 class that took huge step up. It was ranked #10 and they signed 3-5 star recruits that year.
Sammy Watkins, Tony Steward & Stephone Anthony (GRRRRR)
They also signed BJ Goodson, Kevin Dodd, Isiah Battle, DeShawn Williams, Charone Peake & Corey Crawford Who are all on NFL rosters today.

looking back this class may have been waaaaay under-rated. To have 9 guys in one class make it, and stick in the NFL is remarkable.

The 2012 class was ranked 20th. This is first Class that Venables helped recruit.
Shaq Lawson, Carlos Watkins, Cordea Tankersley, Jay Guillermo, Chad Kelly, Germone Hopper,

2013 Class Ranked #15
McKensie Alexander 5*, Dorian O'Daniel, Ben Boulware, Jayron Kearse, Mike Williams, Wayne Gallman, Jordan Legett, Ryan Carter 2* who was good sat night.

2014 Class #16 class
Deshaun Watson, and I am tired of listing the recruits.
2015- #9 Class
2016- #11 Class
2017- #16 Class

In going through all of Dabo's recruiting classes I noticed a few things.

#1. They have sent a lot of guys to the NFL and not all of them were that highly rated. They do a good job evaluating and developing their players. Their DL in particular they send a ton to the NFL.

#2. That 2011 class was a true break through in terms of talent and then success through college and into the NFL. Dabo's first full class was 2009. Fuente's first full class was 2017. Following that logic 2019 should be the class that Fuente should be able to get traction.

#3. Their recruiting rankings are not elite. They have been in the 9-16 range most years. Those coaches do a hell of a job developing their guys. There are not 9-16 programs that have better players.

#4. I noticed that a fair number of clemson recruits prepped for a year, and that wasn't to grow or gain strength. These were talented 4 star recruits that ended up at Hargrave or Fuma and then went on to have success College careers. I don't really like to speculate, but I will. That sounds like 2-3 guys a year who are on the edge academically that they stuck with and it paid off.

#5. Their talent base is SC, Georgia, Florida and Alabama to a lessor extent. Nothing earth shattering there, but those are talent rich states.

We continue to talk about following the path of Clemson, so I thought I would look it up and trace it back to Dabo's start. I had ideas in my mind about how he built Clemson, but it was a little different.





[Post edited by btownhokie at 10/03/2017 1:54PM]