It begins with graduation, which Clemson prides itself on as being the Power Four program with the highest graduation rate. In his 16 seasons, Swinney has graduated 424 out of a possible 430 seniors.
College football analyst and former two-time All-American, David Pollack, is a prime example of focusing on life after football. Now, his son, Nicholas, is one of the Tigers’ newest commitments for the 2027 class.
“It’s really unique. Graduation rate matters. Retention rate matters, and he’s one of the only ones that can brag about this, and if I was him, I would keep bragging about it,” he said on his podcast, “See Ball Get Ball With David Pollack.”
The value isn’t the name on the back of the jersey; it’s rather from knowing what they previously wished they had known. Put that with how NIL and revenue share are changing the way recruiting and retention are handled in this era, and Clemson is the perfect storm for those who want the best of both worlds.
That’s why these former players are blown away by the recruiting process.
“Just with the environment and the landscape of college football today, and you start visiting some of these other schools and just seeing the way they operate, Clemson just absolutely, totally, 100 percent separated itself from me and my wife,” Brooking said.
“(Swinney) said all this great stuff, and I’m like that’s what I needed to hear from my kid because I don’t know if the NFL is in my son’s future,” Jacobs added. “But, I needed to hear that he can come here and he can get a degree.”
Others know the power that can hold. Former Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is another example. His father, Jeremiah Sr., played in the NFL for 10 seasons.
Although never playing in the NFL, college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit had a son, Tye, walk onto the program and leave with a degree in marketing in 2023.