How has Dabo Swinney built a modern dynasty at Clemson? It all starts with recruiting. The Tigers continually bring in elite talent, then develop those players and convince them to stick around. The result is a fourth consecutive College Football Playoff appearance. Here's a look at how this season's team was built:
Cumulative class ranking
Clemson has recruited the sixth-most talent in the nation over the past five years. However, the Tigers managed to secure that ranking despite signing at least 18 fewer prospects than any of this season's other playoff qualifiers. Swinney and his staff might do a better job than any school in the country at not only signing elite talent but at identifying high-probability prospects who are ideal cultural fits for their program. Additionally, convincing defensive linemen and first-round NFL draft prospects Christian Wilkins (No. 32 in 2015 ESPN 300) and Clelin Ferrell (No. 136 in 2015) to return to Death Valley for an extra season certainly paid huge dividends.
