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1. Once upon a time, there existed the myth of SEC speed.

In the recruiting world, it’s about time we start referencing Clemson speed.

Team recruiting rankings are a marathon, not a sprint. What matters, relatively speaking, is who you have signed at the finish line.

With its five-star parade over the last month, Clemson has such a commanding lead for the No. 1 class in the Rivals.com rankings that observers would be yelling “stop the fight” if not for the fact we’re really not even halfway around the track.

There are seven months to go before the December signing period locks most prospects in, and almost two more months to add to that. Odds are that others are going to make up ground on the Tigers, and a select few peers will have the chance to challenge for the top spot.

Clemson could call it quits right now and boast an impressive collection of talent we could reasonably call the nation’s best based on per-prospect assessment.

But the Tigers have had more five-stars before.