With almost a full year under its belt, Shane Beamer and South Carolina's relatively new staff haven't crossed paths with Clemson often on the recruiting trail.

The Tigers fended off their initial attempts to open the door with Myrtle Beach (S.C.) four-star receiver Adam Randall, whose mother went to South Carolina. The Gamecocks tried to no avail to stir interest from Greenville (S.C.) four-star lineman Collin Sadler and Mauldin (S.C.) four-star corner Jeadyn Lukus.

But Dabo Swinney & Co. had a headstart in terms of relationships with those prospects, and we should soon see how formidable Clemson's foe will be under new leadership as more recruitments reach maturation.

The outcome of Saturday's 7:30 p.m. game in Columbia could go a ways in either maintaining separation between the programs or closing the gap.

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In this feature, Tigerillustrated.com takes an inside look at several in-state prospects for whom Clemson and South Carolina could battle in the near or distant future: