Clemson and Georgia have a heated rivalry on the field. But one area where the Tigers have a commanding lead is one of the most important.
Graduation rate.
Success is more than what happens on the field. Clemson has been among the upper echelon of college football for a long time, but Dabo Swinney’s players have also excelled in the classroom and the number who have walked across the stage with their diplomas is impressive by anyone’s standards.
Georgia? Sorry Bulldogs, you lose this one.
Clemson football graduates 99 percent of its players, including those who have turned pro and come back to school to finish their studies. Georgia, meanwhile, has been woeful with a reported GSR (graduation success rate) of just 41 percent.
That is bare bottom among 130 FBS programs. In fact, in the Bulldogs’ own conference, the next lowest GSR is 69 percent at LSU. Clemson’s 99 percent, conversely, is the best among all FBS programs by a long way. Simply put, the Tigers succeed on and off the field.
As an entirely athletic program, Clemson also graduates 97 percent of its student-athletes university wide. That is also the best in the country.
Clemson Is No. 1 Nationally In GSR Among Public Schools
Dabo Swinney has always preached the important of education and Clemson football puts a high importance on graduation. It has long been ingrained in the culture of the Tigers’ program. Win, but win in every facet of life.
Perhaps Kirby Smart should look into that philosophy. Sure, the Bulldogs are winning at a high level on the field, but lately it seems Georgia has players in handcuffs just as much as they do in the classroom. But I digress.
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This is not to denigrate the Bulldog players who work hard and earn their degrees. But the fact that Clemson continues to be a successful program while also producing top-notch student-athletes is an impressive feat.
In an era where NIL and the transfer portal reign supreme, that the Tigers graduate 97 percent of their players is testament to a culture that transcends football. Georgia cannot claim the same.
The season opening tilt between the Tigers and Bulldogs will be a hotly debated and bitterly contested game and a premier match-up to kick off the 2024 season. Most are counting the Tigers out and are predicting a Georgia blowout. Those numbers do not add up. Expect Clemson to go toe to toe with the team who has won two of the last three national championships.
And if Swinney and his players have anything to say about it, the Tigers will be ready to take the Bulldogs to school.
