Former Atlanta Falcons star Roddy White took a shot at the Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon, criticizing the team's recruiting strategy and suggesting that it is contributing to their recent struggles.
Former Atlanta Falcons star Roddy White, a top performer for the UAB Blazers, took a shot at the Clemson Tigers on Saturday afternoon.
No. 13 Clemson was hoping to start the season with an upset over No. 1 Georgia, but the Tigers fell off the pace in the second half after keeping it a six-point game at halftime. Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck threw two touchdowns in the second half while Nate Frazier and Cash Jones ran for one touchdown each.
White Criticizes Clemson for Lack of Black Players on Offense
White criticized Clemson's recruiting strategy and made race a factor.
"Clemson got way to (sic) many White dudes on the field on offense this ain't them. U mean to tell me u only got one Black dude out there making plays that's a recruiting problem," he wrote on Twitter.
White Criticizes Clemson for Lack of Black Players on Offense
Dabo Swinney took over the Clemson football program in the middle of the 2008 season. He led the team to a Gator Bowl appearance after the Tigers won four of their final five games of the regular season. The team lost to Nebraska in the bowl game.
It was enough for Swinney to keep the head coaching position and build the Tigers into a national powerhouse. He won two national championships with Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence as his quarterbacks.
White Criticizes Clemson for Lack of Black Players on Offense
Players like Watson, Dwayne Allen, Vic Beasley, Da'Quan Bowers, Travis Etienne, Clelin Ferrell, Mitch Hyatt, Shaq Lawson, Isaiah Simmons, John Simpson, C.J. Spiller, and Christian Wilkins were named Consensus All-Americans.
Clemson hasn't found the same success in recent years. The team lost in the Sugar Bowl in 2020 and the Orange Bowl in 2022. The Tigers finished 9-4 last season.
White's comments come as Clemson is facing criticism for its lack of diversity on the field. In 2020, the team was ranked 128th out of 130 FBS teams in terms of Black player representation.
Clemson has defended its recruiting practices, saying that it recruits the best players regardless of race. However, White's comments suggest that the team may need to do a better job of recruiting Black players if it wants to return to its former glory.
Despite White's criticism, Clemson remains one of the top teams in college football. The Tigers are ranked No. 13 in the preseason AP Poll, and they have a chance to make a statement in their season opener against No. 1 Georgia.
