When Dabo Swinney meets with his staff each year to start work on a new recruiting class, the first thing he tells them is to make sure they get who they consider to be their No. 1 draft pick, if you will.

It’s hard to say who Clemson’s top pick might had been if the 2016 Recruiting Class was based on draft selections, but it is easy to believe Spartanburg running back Tavien Feaster would be right up there.

Like five-star offensive tackle Mitch Hyatt before him and five-star quarterback Deshaun Watson before Hyatt, Feaster committed to Clemson a full year before he actually signed his name on his National Letter of Intent on Wednesday.

“I expect him to come in and compete and be the dynamic player that he has been,” Swinney said.

Feaster, a five-star prospect, was a consensus top 50 player and was rated as the No. 1 player in the state of South Carolina. The state’s Mr. Football, rushed for 1,121 yards and scored 10 touchdowns as a senior, while totaling 1,971 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns.

He was the first Spartanburg Player to win the Mr. Football Award since former running back Stephen Davis did it in 1992. He was also the first Clemson signee to win the state’s biggest individual prep award since wide receiver Roscoe Crosby of Union won it in 2000.

“This guy is special. He is a big-time talent. He is incredibly fast,” Swinney said.

Feaster also reminds Swinney of a certain running back he recruited to Clemson 10 years ago from the state of Florida.

“I did not know if I would ever see another guy like C.J. Spiller. I really didn’t. He is about as close to C.J. Spiller as any guy I have seen out there in the recruiting process,” Swinney said.

Like Spiller was, Feaster just isn’t a superstar on the football field. He is also a state champion runner for Spartanburg’s track team. He is a four-time state champion in the 100-meter dash and a two-time state champion in the 200.

“He is a little bigger and stronger than C.J. was coming out of high school, but he has game-changing ability,” Swinney said.

Swinney and the Tigers can only hope Feaster starts his college career the way Spiller did. In his freshman season, Spiller rushed for 938 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He also caught 19 passes for 210 yards and two more scores in 2006.

Clemson’s head coach admits he does not know what Feaster will do on the football field until he gets on campus and starts to work out. Swinney reported Feaster played this past year with a bum shoulder that will require surgery and that it could set him back a little bit.

But don’t let that fool you. Swinney expects Feaster to come in and compete for playing time. The Tigers return of course All-ACC running back Wayne Gallman, who rushed for a school-record 1,527 yards in 2015, as well as Adam Choice, C.J. Fuller and Tyshon Dye.

“We will see how he does as a freshman. All I can tell you is that he will have a great career,” the Clemson coach said. “So many people judge these guys based on what they do as a freshmen. You don’t get drafted based on what you do as a freshman. It is all about your career and you should get better each and every year. I have no doubt that will be the case for Tavien.”