re: 2019 5-Star DE Zacch Pickens commits to the GAMECOCKS!

quote:

---

I think the people that knocked South Carolina for hiring Muschamp are being proven wrong. However, it is still a long ways to go in this one, but outstanding get for the Gamecocks.

---

Should have seen the recruiting classes he had at Florida. His problem has never really been recruiting -- his problem has been, and will continue to be roster management and offense. Bentley's, unfortunately, don't grow on trees where they're already really coached up.

Not saying he'll never improve, but we had monster classes on one side of the ball almost every year of his tenure until his firing.

quote:

---

Venebles was at TL Hannah all day trying to get him to push back a committment so Pickens comitts to SC in front of the douchebag.

---

Big time pickup. Congrats!

And for those that aren't familiar with the geography of South Carolina, this kid lives 20 mins from Clemson. Stole him out from under Dabo's nose.

quote:

---

Got to think our previous years haul at DE (2 5*) and overall depth chart didn't help.

---

I love it when OOC posters come here to melt.

quote:

---

Congrats on the get. Good pickup. Got to think our previous years haul at DE (2 5*) and overall depth chart didn't help.

---

The irony in this post is that Pickens committed at his spring Game. In attendance was not only Clemson defensive coordinator Brent venables, but all of those 1st round defensive lineman that came back. So it's true, your defensive line didn't help in his recruitment.

Problem is, after this. year you'll only have 3 scholarship DT's.

And this is a down year for DT's.

And Clemson isn't leading for any of the top group.

quote:

---

You're right that we are thin at DT after this year (4 total with recent commitment - will add at least one more), and we don't have any five star guys committed.

Clemson has also had success developing three star guys into NFL players along the DL. As long as Dabo and Venables are there, I am not going to stress over the roster.

---

You seem to be a decent Clemson fan ... unlike your sheep humping sister banging taterhead friends. So, let's have a truly civil discussion.

Your recent defenses up there have been really good. Defense wins championships as we all know.

Dabo and Venables have been good at recruiting and developing defensive guys, I completely agree. We felt the same way for a few years under EJ and Lawing ... but we also had the players at the time, just as you do now.

If history tells us anything it is that it is EXTREMELY difficult to sustain that kind of talent for extended periods ... Nebraska did it for awhile under Osborne, LSU even under both Saban and Les, and FSU under Bowden. But for most programs it is short lived, temporary.

I remember well the Clemson defenses under Ford. Ford always said if he held opponents under 14 pts he would win because his offenses were ball control and you just couldn't score on his defenses back then ... hell, George Rogers never once got into the endzone against Clemson.

What happened? Because there was a good 30 year stretch where Clemson Ds were not that special.

And, there will soon be another. Signs are already showing. Do you disagree with that?

If WM pulls in a top 5 class at @SCAR it'll be amazing. Wow. Great get. Meanwhile @ UF. ...

quote:

---

Little ole Clemson should not be relevant nationally in CFB, and yet here we are... taking names and kicking butt, with a coach that the rest of the country was laughing at when he was first hired.

---

CivilTiger ... Clemson plays in the ACC and your current run is attributable as much to FSU and SC being down right now as it is to anything Dabo and Venables being good coaches.

You've been very lucky all the way around. Easy regular season playing in an easy conference. Your two biggest challengers being down. Lucky bounces in the Championship game two seasons ago.

Right now the worm is already turning.

You flopped in the bowl last season. Were beaten like red-headed step children.

There are questions surrounding your current team, an exodus of players, recruiting is in danger, people are starting to look around and they are hearing all sorts of questionable things from players leaving the program ... the whispers are starting to grow a little louder. Hell, it's almost like 1981 all over again.

Enjoy it while you can CivilTiger, I hear where you are coming from, I really do. In the meantime I suspect both SC and FSU will soon be making things tougher on you. A&M may very well get that ball rolling this year. You'll still breeze through the rest of your ACC schedule, but you'll have a much tougher row to hoe this season than you've had these past few years and you may soon habe second thoughts about your beloved Dabo. Sure, he's a likeable guy with snake oil saleman charm and all that ... but it does appear that his little run will be a short one. I probably would not have made that statement last year honestly - but times are a changin' these days. There is a serious kink in his armor beginning to show.

You may bookmark this is you'd like. Come back in eight months and prove me wrong maybe?