Clemson leads college football in five-star development

On3 imageby:Adam Luckett06/11/21

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CLEMSON — Five stars and draft picks are what every college football program is after.

The teams that win championships are the ones that have the best players. Everything begins with talent accumulation out of high school, but development is vital. Schools must turn star recruits into draft picks to see continued success on the recruiting trail.

Clemson does this as well as anyone in college football.

Chris Hummer of 247 Sports dug into the data to find out which teams in college football do the best job of turning former five-star recruits into pros. The Tigers are at the top of the list.

“If you’re wondering why Clemson is a two-time national champion in the College Football Playoff era, a stat like this one is a great place to start,” writes Hummer. “Dabo Swinney has been at Clemson for 13 years, and he’s lapped the field with his consistency of sending five-star players to the NFL.”

The Tigers have had just 13 five-star prospects move on since this case study started in 2008, but the hit rate under Swinney has been superb. Clemson has seen 92.3 percent of former five-star recruits drafted and that leads everyone in college football. The next closest program is Alabama with 75.6 percent of their 41 five-stars going in the draft. Ohio State then checks in with 66.7 percent of their 21 five-stars turning into draft picks.

When looking at first-round draft picks, Clemson was also elite. Alabama led all competitors with a 48.8 percent hit rate, but Clemson sits at No. 2 overall with a 36.4 percent success rate. Florida was No. 3 at 30 percent, while Ohio State produced a first-rounder 19.1 percent of the time.

Andrew Booth Jr.-Clemson Tigers-Clemson Football

Andrew Booth Jr. can be the program’s next first-round pick. (Andrew Booth Jr./Instagram)

Heading into the 2021 season, Clemson enters the year with 10 five-star recruits on the roster. Andrew Booth Jr. is starting to receive some draft buzz, while Xavier Thomas is looking to have a bounce-back season. The Tigers will again have one of the most talented rosters in college football, but development remains key.

As the recruiting class of 2022 comes together, Clemson will look to sell elite recruits on their ability to turn high school stars into high draft picks. This is what will allow the program to remain a major player for the top players in high school football.

Recruit and develop is the name of the game.