Help was on the way, indeed.

Sorting out the best players of Dabo Swinney's tenure turns into a debate handicapping national championship rings, All-American honors and gaudy, often record-breaking stats.

Drafting a list of Swinney's top recruits could simply be a matter of historical data dependent upon stars and rankings.

Each yields entertaining discussions.

For the optimum confluence of context, we are attempting to assimilate the best of both worlds.

In this lengthy series, Tigerillustrated.com takes its shot at naming The 40 Most Consequential Recruits Of The Dabo Swinney Era.

This subjectively factors in a player's production through his college career; the challenge of the recruiting victory, if not its big-picture significance as well; and even the player's legacy in helping Clemson attract more talent down the line.

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PART 1: The 40 Most Consequential Recruits Of The Dabo Swinney Era