The Clemson Tigers announce their 2017 football recruiting class on National Signing Day, looking to stay atop the mountain in college
Just one year removed from heartbreak in the National Championship Game, the Clemson Tigers wouldn’t be denied their second time around. Dabo Swinney again led his young me to the College Football Playoff, but the result was different. In an absolute thriller, Clemson edged out the evil overlords of the sport, Alabama. Now national champions, Swinney and company look to maintain their place on the throne, starting with recruiting all the way through National Signing Day 2017.
Perhaps the biggest question mark that the Tigers are facing heading into a new season is an offense without Deshaun Watson at quarterback. Watson was a stud for Clemson, so that loss is almost too great to fully quantify. With that said, bringing in a five-star stud such as Hunter Johnson in this recruiting class sure helps to ease the blow.
Moreover, Clemson is bringing in a massive weapon for Johnson on the outside in Tee Higgins. Though he needs to mature physically some, the five-star wideout boasts unreal size, solid speed, and the potential to be a massive star at Clemson.
Johnson and Higgins certainly headline the class as the five-star gems of the group. However, let’s take a look at the Clemson Tigers’ 2017 recruiting class on National Signing Day:
Coming into Wednesday’s National Signing Day festivities, what stood out about Clemson was a lack of depth with their class. The top-end talent was there, but they fell out of the top-10 in the 247 Sports Composite Rankings simply due to the drop-off.
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However, landing several targets on the biggest recruiting day of the year is a great way for the Tigers to turn all of that around. They might not catch Alabama in recruiting in 2017, but at least they have a leg up on them mentally as they have the title in-house.