While most of the attention in Death Valley is on the upcoming 2018 season, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson coaching staff have been preparing for the future. The Tigers have already secured twenty-three recruits from the class of 2019 including three players ranked in the top 100. After landing seventeen recruits a year ago, it is clear that Swinney and his staff have prioritized depth this offseason. With the increase in quantity, the quality of the recruits has not diminished however. Thus far, two five-star recruits and eight four-star recruits have committed to play for the Tigers in 2019.

The two most notable players to join the Tigers this offseason have been wide receiver Frank Ladson and cornerback Andrew Booth. Ladson is a 6’ 3”, 186 pound receiver from Miami, Florida that should be a solid addition to a receiving core that will already be loaded with talent. Ladson will line up alongside Tee Higgins, Derion Kendrick, and Justyn Ross to create an electric group of receivers. Pairing them up with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne, amongst others, should propel Clemson’s offense to greatness in 2019 and beyond.

Booth will address an area of need for the Tigers in the secondary. The Tigers were plagued by injuries in the secondary a year ago and could certainly use an injection of young talent into a relatively shallow secondary. At 6’ 1” and 188 pounds, Booth tends to play off the line and looks for opportunities to make a play on the ball. With Clemson’s talented defensive line forcing quarterbacks to make quick decisions, Booth will certainly have his opportunities to make big plays for the Tigers in the secondary.

Swinney and his staff continued to address the need in the secondary with four-star players Sheridan Jones and Joseph Charleston. With Booth, Jones, and Charleston in the mix, Clemson’s secondary will become a deeper and more talented group than they have been in recent seasons.   

The offense gained even more weapons with the additions of four-star players Joe Ngata (wide receiver), Taisun Phommachanh (athlete), Chez Mellusi (running back), and Jaelyn Lay (tight end). While most of these players will likely be backups early on, the depth that they provide may prove to be vital as the 2019 season progresses. Beyond the depth they provide, the opportunity to learn from some of the best players at the college level is an invaluable experience for these up and coming players.

While the 2019 recruiting class is already impressive, Swinney and his staff still have a lot of time to improve. While the expectations for the 2018 season are as high as they’ve ever been, the Tigers are looking to ensure that the expectations stay high for years to come.