Two years ago in the week leading up to the 2017 Clemson-South Carolina game, Carolina football play-by-play announcer Todd Ellis said the Tigers were “cycling out.” Meanwhile, the Gamecocks were cycling in, Ellis said, adding that Clemson was “scared to death of Will Muschamp’s progress.”
Well, Clemson continues to cycle, all right – cycle ahead of South Carolina, both on the field and on the recruiting trail.
The Tigers went on to beat the Gamecocks, 34-10, at Williams-Brice Stadium on Nov. 25, 2017. After winning the annual rivalry game again last season, Clemson is now looking for its sixth straight victory in the Clemson-Carolina series when the two teams meet at Williams-Brice on Saturday.
Since Ellis made the aforementioned comments, Clemson has compiled a record of 27-1, made two College Football Playoff appearances and won a national championship. In the same span, the Gamecocks have gone 12-13, including 4-7 this season which of course means they are not bowl eligible.
The Tigers are showing no signs of slowing down, either, as they continue to stockpile top talent and reload on a yearly basis through their recruiting efforts, while the Gamecocks haven’t shown the improvement Ellis said they would and are not recruiting at an elite level like their in-state foe.
Clemson has signed a top-10 class in each of the last two years according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, while South Carolina has not inked a top-10 class since 2007 when Steve Spurrier was the head coach. Over the last five signing classes since 2015, the Tigers have brought in a total of 12 five-star prospects per the 247 Composite while the Gamecocks have landed one five-star in the same span.
As for the current recruiting cycle, Clemson’s 2020 class is ranked No. 1 in the country right now according to the 247 Composite, and the Tigers own verbal pledges from six five-star prospects. South Carolina currently has the 19th-ranked class nationally and no five-stars on board as it stands now.
According to Rivals, Clemson holds commitments from the top two players in the country — quarterback DJ Uiagalelei (No. 1) and defensive lineman Bryan Bresee (No. 2) – and is believed to be the frontrunner for the No. 3 player, linebacker Justin Flowe. No school has signed the top two prospects in a single class since Rivals began ranking recruits in 2002, much less the top three.
On the other hand, South Carolina’s highest-ranked recruit per Rivals is running back Marshawn Lloyd, who checks in at No. 46 overall.
Two years ago, Ellis said that South Carolina was the “up-and-coming team,” and “that’s a big part of the fear from the Tigers right now.”
However, Clemson is not afraid of the team across the state, nor are the Tigers cycling out at all. Instead, after winning two of the last three national titles, it appears Dabo Swinney is right that the “best is yet to come” for his program.
Put some Clemson on your Christmas Tree this year. Clemson Christmas Decorations from Clemson Variety & Frame
