The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Alabama, Clemson make it back
Clemson was fresh from the national championship game two years ago when the coaches called a highly touted recruit already being pursued by other big-name programs.
Kansas high school safety Isaiah Simmons listened, welcomed coach Dabo Swinney’s recruiting visit and ultimately signed with the Tigers. He’s now a significant contributor.
“Our reach is much, much further than it has ever been,” Swinney said.
Welcome to Alabama’s world, Clemson. Sustaining high-level success is never easy, but being on that national stage and regularly contending for titles often facilitates entry into the living rooms of the kind of recruits who can help programs stay at the top.
That’s certainly evident in the Sugar Bowl, which the top-ranked Tigers reached after replacing two-time Heisman Trophy finalist Deshaun Watson, fellow first-round NFL draft pick Mike Williams and plenty more offensive talent after last season’s national title. No. 4 Alabama lost a similar amount of defensive stars.
Perhaps the respective units haven’t been quite as dominant but both teams are right back where they were last year — and the year before — in the College Football Playoffs contending for a national title. They’ve split the past two championships.
Nick Saban has made reloading into a science at Alabama. In his words, the process .
NFL draft picks exit. Similarly talented high school prospects enter. The machinery keeps running .
Swinney’s doing it awfully well these days, too.
Alabama arrived at Louis Armstrong International New Orleans airport on a damp Wednesday morning to begin their its Sugar preparations. The Tide had to replace seven defensive players drafted in the first four rounds, including firstrounders Marlon Humphrey, Jonathan Allen and Reuben Foster.
The Tigers had seven offensive starters depart, including a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard receiver and 1,000-yard rusher (Wayne Gallman). Only 22.7 percent of the offensive production returned from 2016, less than all but two of 130 FBS teams.
Saban praises the way Alabama players have embraced new roles, and sees similar results from Clemson’s offense led by quarterback Kelly Bryant.