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1. Want stars, will travel.
Clemson's coaches seized the available window late in the bye week to hit the road recruiting.
More time, of course, allows staffers to comfortably traverse a greater distance to see prospects that they otherwise might not have on a game weekend where there's a Saturday kickoff to hustle back for. And more coaches are free to be out late to high school games.
Good thing, as the Tigers need all the help they can in spreading those wings for the 2023 cycle.
We've written on the diminishing returns from in-state recruiting plenty before, and truth be told its importance will fluctuate year to year. As we've expressed, the 2022 in-state crop was the best we had observed since 2018, and Clemson scored three four-stars all worth its while.
Yet it hit home last week writing about the bull's-eyed defensive tackle target, Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson four-star Peter Woods.
Woods is ranked No. 41 nationally by Rivals.com, yet he is just the fifth-highest rated prospect in his state. Making matters worse, the state that feeds elite peer Alabama.
Where does Clemson have to go for talent, as evidenced by its six offers out already? Georgia, which is finally having the caliber of season Clemson has used in recent years to differentiate itself from the Dawgs in the Peach State.
As we wrote Thursday, the Tigers are in the fight for five-star safety Sonny Styles, four-star linebacker Drayk Bowen and four-star offensive tackle Luke Montgomery. But all three reside in the neighborhoods of Ohio State and Notre Dame, meaning it might take more than a minivan to get them here.
Clemson didn't suddenly relocate; these challenges have always been present.
But the geography for where the high-end talent resides next cycle doesn't feel like it's doing the Tigers any favors compared to its peers.
