Ask Farrell: Have Clemson's recruits been under-ranked?
MORE ASK FARRELL: Can Florida hang with Georgia this weekend?
During his press conference this week previewing the Florida State matchup, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said he’s 1-9 against the Seminoles in the “recruiting rankings” and that number just seemed too hard to believe.
So I looked it up. And Swinney is right.
Starting with Swinney’s first recruiting class in 2009, Florida State has edged out Clemson in the ACC team recruiting rankings every single year except in 2018 – when the Tigers finished eighth nationally with six five-star commitments, including quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the No. 1 prospect in the Rivals100.
Florida State finished two spots behind Clemson at No. 10 nationally as defensive back Jaiden Woodbey was the lone five-star pledge in the Seminoles’ class.
Swinney is 5-5 on the field against the Seminoles during his coaching tenure.
In the current recruiting class, Clemson's class is ranked fourth nationally but without a five-star commitment. Florida State is sitting at No. 14 with five-star defensive back Akeem Dent committed. The Seminoles have a higher average star ranking (3.88) than the Tigers (3.5).
Over the last 10 seasons including this one, Clemson’s overall record is 104-27. Florida State is 96-32 over the same stretch.
We ask Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to weigh in on whether Clemson’s signees have been under-ranked, whether Florida State’s have been over-ranked or if the rankings have been appropriate over the last decade?
FARRELL'S TAKE
"I can say, without a doubt, that Clemson recruiting has been off the charts in recent years and the Tigers are starting to get the respect they deserve. The program's out-of-state recruiting is excellent, they do a great job in-state and they can pull some surprises. Of all the teams in college football, Clemson has taken the biggest step forward of anyone on the national stage.
"As for Florida State, I don’t think the Seminoles' classes have been overrated but it’s more about Jimbo Fisher leaving and a whole new set of coaches coming in. Yes, some of the talent has under-performed but Florida State is always going to be near the top 10 in recruiting because of the state they recruit. Since the Bobby Bowden days, Florida State has been a staple near the top of the national rankings and always on top of the ACC it seems. That’s because of the great tradition of the program as well as the home-state edge the Seminoles have in talent.
"My final answer is this: I don’t think we’ve under-ranked Clemson or over-ranked Florida State during that span. Clemson has just done a better job developing players in the last few years."
