Eleven years ago, Clemson's leading returning receiver entering the 2010 season was Xavier Dye.

Dye had a mere 14 catches in 2009. Terrance Ashe had 11.

That partly explains why there was so much pressure on a high-four-star redshirt freshman, Bryce McNeal, to become a significant contributor.

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As it turned out a first-year freshman named DeAndre Hopkins provided the big splash, totaling 51 catches for 626 yards as Clemson went 6-7 while trying to replace not just C.J. Spiller, but also Jacoby Ford and Michael Palmer.

That snapshot is relevant in assorted ways here in 2021, most obvious being the resounding and astounding difference in talent between then and now.