1. That’s what we’d consider the relief valve.

Clemson collected a pair of commitments last week, and the significance arguably carried beyond the prospects’ potential as future contributors.

Join Tigerillustrated.com subscribers on The West Zone message board!

It had been a rough couple of weeks for the Tigers, both in terms of recruiting returns and image branding – with one only serving to exacerbate the other, and the cycle escalating.

Such favorable news both stopped the perceived bleeding and likely prevented the narrative from taking on an even bigger life of its own.

Commitments with benefits.

Clemson’s mode of operation is turn the page from recruiting to full concentration on team preparation as August camp arrives. Thus they maneuver to get business done by July’s end, although there occasionally is a target who holds onto his announcement into August.