Dabo Swinney is wrapping up his 13th recruiting class as Clemson's football coach.
In that span, he says there are two signing classes that will always stand out for him: Swinney's first class from 2009 that he dubbed the "Dandy Dozen," and this 2021 class that he's calling the "Pandemic Posse."
"This is the most unique recruiting class we've had to sign, the most unique recruiting experience that any of us have had," Swinney said Wednesday. "I can't wait to get started with them in person."
Clemson signed 18 members of its 2021 class Wednesday, a group that is ranked No. 1 in the ACC and features two five-star prospects and 14 four-star recruits. Of those new Tigers, Swinney has never personally met three of them because of pandemic protocols and restrictions, a fact he called "the most 2020 thing ever."
Indeed, the world of college football recruiting was forced to adapt to realities created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the NCAA rule changes that followed. An NCAA suspension on in-person recruiting activities began during the pandemic and remains in effect. A "dead period" that prohibits any face-to-face interactions was recently extended all the way to April 15, 2021.
For Clemson, that's meant no All-In Cookouts on campus for prospects, no school-organized recruiting visits, no summer camps and no off-campus evaluations by Tigers coaches.
Swinney praised his coaches and recruiting staff for making the most of the unusual circumstances presented by the pandemic.
"I kept thinking they were going to open things up and allow prospects to come in and we could visit with them. That never transpired," Swinney said. "This year in all that we couldn't do, we had to figure out what we could do."
The restrictions actually created more time and more ways to communicate than college coaches would normally have, Swinney said. Clemson offered recruits virtual tours of the campus and the football operations building — anything a recruit could do and see on campus was offered virtually.
Swinney has yet to personally meet safety Andrew Mukuba, cornerback Nathaniel Wiggins or quarterback Bubba Chandler, all prospects who picked the Tigers since the pandemic began. Mukuba flipped his commitment Saturday from LSU to Clemson and signed Wednesday with Swinney's Tigers.
Clemson's coach called it "great but unique" how easy it's become to speak with recruits via such tools as FaceTime or Zoom video.
"I feel like I've met them," Swinney said. "It's crazy how you can communicate now. It's like you're sitting in the room together."
The pandemic forced the ACC to start its 2020 season a few weeks later than normal. The conference's championship game, featuring Clemson and Notre Dame, will be played Saturday in Charlotte, two weeks later than its traditional date. The winner is guaranteed a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Tigers are on track to sign their fourth-straight top-10 class, as recruiting doesn't officially wrap up until the traditional February signing period.
Swinney offered the debut of a COVID-19 vaccine this week as a sign of hope for how coaches will be able to build their classes for 2022 and beyond.
"Hopefully we can get back to some normalcy here next year," Swinney said.
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Recruiting rankings: Where Clemson stands
Where the Clemson Tigers rank nationally in the 247Sports Composite team recruiting standings that factor in all networks' rankings.
— 2021: No. 5*
— 2020: No. 3
— 2019: No. 10
— 2018: No. 7
— 2017: No. 16
— 2016: No. 11
— 2015: No. 9
*Class is still in progress, won't be finalized until February signing period.
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Clemson 2021 signing class
OFFENSE
Bubba Chandler — QB, Bogart, Ga.
Will Taylor — QB, Irmo, S.C.
Will Shipley — RB, Weddington, N.C.
Phil Mafah — RB, Loganville, Ga,
Ryan Linthicum — OL, Damascus, Md.
Dietrick Pennington — OL, Memphis, Tenn.
Marcus Tate — OL, Sunrise, Fla.
Jake Briningstool — TE, Brentwood, Tenn.
Beaux Collins — WR, Bellflower, Calif.
Troy Stellato — WR, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Dacari Collins — WR, Atlanta, Ga.
DEFENSE
Zaire Patterson — DE, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Cade Denhoff — DE, Plant City, Fla.
Payton Page — DT, Greensboro, N.C.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. — LB, Mt. Laurel, N.J.
Nathaniel Wiggins — CB, Atlanta
Barrett Carter — SAF, Suwanee, Ga.
Andrew Mukuba — SAF, Austin, Texas
