The Double Edged Sword of Recruiting

The top 10 classes of recruiting generally feature the same teams year in and year out; Bama, Texas, LSU, and the like. Many college football fans belittle the effect of star rankings and point to such examples of Tyler Grisham and Willy Korn as a way to disprove these rankings. These are outliers. An anomaly. More often than not, rankings are pretty accurate. That is why Clemson fans have all the right in the world to be thrilled by the job Dabo and his staff have done on the recruiting trail these past few cycles. They are not only picking up the top players, they are filling desperate needs on the team. At WR and LB where the depth was especially thin, this staff has completely restocked the cupboard with names such as Watkins, Steward, Peake, Anthony, and others. Clemson fans will expect these top players to bring wins, and many of them, on the field. This expectation is completely justified. This is where Dabo and his staff will continue to be scrutinized. Dabo’s biggest strength may ultimately contribute to his failure.

If you’re a Clemson fan, you’ve heard it countless times. Clemson underachieves. Talent is never the problem. As discussed just above, recruiting rankings are generally on point. If these talented players don’t bring wins on the field, then the problem lies elsewhere. The most logical reasoning is the lack of coaching ability of this top talent. Tommy Bowden and Billy Napier have lost their jobs over it. The majority of the time, High School athletes get by on their raw talent because they can and others on that level are not able to stop them. The main job of this coaching staff is to tailor these exceptional skills into ones that translate onto the collegiate football field (technique, scheme, footwork, etc.). Coaches Morris and Hobby were brought in to develop this talent and that is their main priority (aside from Morris’ play calling duties obviously). Continued failures with this great talent would be all the more evidence needed to point the blame at the coaching.

This idea is what makes the 2011 season so polarizing in my mind. It is no secret that Dabo, and TDP for that matter, is on the hot seat. He had a losing record at a school where that simply just does not happen. He has lost twice in a row to the rival school at a school where that does not happen. These new freshman and young kids will have great talent but they will be inexperienced and go through growing pains. That is the reality of the sport. These kids need time to develop. Clemson does not have this time. They need these players to produce wins, and produce them now. A third loss to a VERY GOOD USC team might just be the nail in the coffin for Dabo. Yes, we all hate the Cocks, but this is a good team. My question is: What will be Dabo’s threshold? Where does the line get drawn when the promises of great 2012, 2013, and beyond seasons no longer are good enough to leave this man coaching. If this staff disseminates, how will this new nucleus react? Will their talents go to waste by the transition of a new staff? If Dabo can just get through this year, greener pastures will lie ahead as the teaching develops. However, that is a big “If”.