1. The boys are back in town.

It's tradition for Dabo Swinney to open Clemson's spring practices, as well as August camp workouts, with the Thin Lizzy song blaring through the indoor facility speakers.

The Tigers begin spring ball this afternoon, and we'll be present at the media viewing window these next three days collecting and sharing our observations.

Spring ball also means recruiting visits on campus get going again.

The contact period started last week, but Clemson -- and just about every school, really -- waits to coordinate their visits in conjunction with a spring practice.

So through the April 15 spring game, the Tigers are slated to entertain a wave of prospects in the coming weeks.

The largest concentration until then is pegged to come Saturday as Clemson holds a small junior day.

All of the Tigers' recruiting functions are small compared to the field, you'd say, and you'd be correct.

But we want to frame expectations here accordingly.

This amounts to a scaled-back version of Clemson's elite junior day.

A year ago, the Tigers dispensed 10 new offers with just a few more prospects in attendance to boot.

Thus, know this year won't be defined by volume either. Selectivity is a steady theme in the Clmeson process.

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Speaking of which ...

The Tigers, as you know, christened the live period with tacking on a sixth member to its recruiting class.

Per our custom, let's begin by closing the book on the latest addition.