Clemson's 2018 senior class is the greatest class simply because it's the next one
Clemson senior tight end Milan Richard sort of slumped into his chair when he was asked what this year’s senior class means to him.
There was some emotion in his voice. He had just spoke about how much he was looking forward to ending his career at Clemson with two consecutive night games inside Death Valley. He took in the question and looked up into the camera.
“Everything,” Richard said.
This Saturday at Memorial Stadium, 33 seniors will individually run down the hill before No. 2 Clemson’s matchup with Duke. The team will be wearing all purple for Military Appreciation Day and plenty of emotions on their sleeves.
There’s no other way to put it. To Clemson fans, this group is as special as they come. Even arguably as strong as the group that left with a national championship in their hands after their final game.
This class has a wide, but strong cast of characters who will be talked about in Clemson lure for a long time. The legend of Hunter Renfrow can only continue to grow in his final few games as he’ll break a few school records. Christian Wilkins could finally get his wish of throwing a pass - presumably to himself if he had it his way - for a touchdown.
Clelin Ferrell. Austin Bryant. Kendall Joseph. Mitch Hyatt. Adam Choice. The list goes on and on.
The competitiveness of this group shines through. We see it every Saturday and it exists even more so between the lines at the practice facility behind closed doors. There’s an edge to this team and to this class that feels different. They know they have left their mark, but know they aren’t quite finished yet.
As head coach Dabo Swinney spoke on Tuesday, he let us know the history this year’s senior class has produced, the records these players have broken.
“It seems like every week they’re doing something that either hasn’t ever been done or hasn’t been done in a long time,” Swinney said. (They’re) competitive that way… They have really taken ownership of what they’re leaving behind, more so than any other group I’ve had.”
Against Duke, this class will go for its 51st win, which would be a new record for most wins by a senior class in ACC history. Their current record is 50-4 with a few games remaining to not only break the record but extend it.
The funny part of it all is that this class would break the record of the previous senior class. In fact, this will be the fifth year in a row under Swinney that a senior class will one-up the previous class as the winningest group in school history.
That only shows you the trajectory this program has steadily been on for the past eight years as it has hit its stride. Depending on how this season ends, it may be extremely hard for next year’s class to beat.
But they’ll damn sure try.
The legacy and resume this year’s class will leave behind is unprecedented. Imagine: you’re a Clemson student in 2015, graduating that year, and you think, “man, I just went to college during the greatest era in Clemson football history.” Then, the bar is set even higher the very next year and that next class gets to brag.
This current senior class has seen: four Atlantic division championships, three College Football Playoff appearances, two national championship games, and one national title. They have only seen one loss and 25 wins inside Death Valley. They are 16-2 against AP Top 25 teams with a staggering 19-1 record in true road games.
And there’s still plenty more to add.
Accolades aside, what is it that makes these 33 players so decorated and so special? It’s how close they have become with each other over the course of four or five years. And no matter how many wins or losses they have racked up, no one can take that away from them.
“It’s definitely a brotherhood with this class. We’ve all been through a lot together,” Richard said. “ You come in with guys from all over the country. Some guys you know well, and some guys you don’t know through recruiting.
“After four or five years, everybody is your brother. Some of these guys will be in my wedding and I am sure I’ll be in theirs. Coach Swinney always says that one day, unfortunately, we will all be at each other’s funerals.”
Defensive end Clelin Ferrell hasn’t decided what his plans are after this season. He’ll be a graduate and will be honored as a senior, but still has another year of eligibility to come back if he wants to. We’d say there’s little chance of that happening, but Wilkins returned last season, so you never know.
But Ferrell knows the day will be full of emotions, not just for him but for the families. As a group, the seniors will have a meeting and there will be a voicemail played for each player from their families telling them how proud they are of what they accomplished and who they have become.
“I feel like it’s always been for the families. It’s a special moment for them,” Ferrell said. “Your parents get to see you grow up over the course of four years, you’re not a little boy anymore. Now you’re a grown man.”
Those parents aren’t the only ones who have seen that transformation. This coaching staff and plenty of other members of that “Clemson Family” have been observant and thankful.
Swinney said on Tuesday it never gets any easier saying goodbye to his seniors. In fact, it gets harder, like you’re sending off another child into the world.
“It’s awesome having them as players, but just being around them as people and the commitment and work ethic, the leadership, just the total transformation is special," Swinney added. “They’ve brought me a lot of joy.”
With the way Clemson’s program has been trending, the 2018 senior class will go down as the best class in school history simply because it’s the next one. They’ve met their standard, exceeding what previous classes have accomplished, and still have work left to be done.
It’s no accident they’ll have the chance to break another record together on Senior Day.
The bar has never been higher.