A former NFL wide receiver has criticized the Clemson football team’s recruiting strategy, claiming there are too many “white guys” on the team following a big loss.
Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor member Roddy White took to social media to lash out at the Tigers after they blew a potential upset win over No. 1 Georgia on Saturday, considering the Bulldogs held just a six-point halftime lead over their rivals.
Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck threw two second-half touchdowns, one to Nate Frazier and one to Crash Jones, to seal the deal on a 34-3 blowout victory.
After the game, White, 42, criticized the lack of diversity on Clemson’s team.
“Clemson has too many white guys on the field on offense, this isn’t them. You mean to tell me you only have one black guy making plays that’s a recruiting problem?” he posted on X.
Former Falcons player Roddy White criticized the Clemson football team for not being diverse enough
White said on X that the Tigers have too many “white guys,” calling it a “recruiting problem.”
White played for the UAB Blazers for three seasons (2001–04), recording 3,112 receiving yards on 163 receptions.
However, it’s hard to argue that race has any correlation to Clemson’s decline over the past three seasons, considering they haven’t beaten Georgia since 2013.
In fact, what made Georgia’s 31-point demolition of the 14th-ranked Tigers in Atlanta remarkable was how unsurprising it was.
“When you get beaten like that, it’s the manager’s fault,” Swinney told reporters. “He owned an absolutely shitty second half. Sometimes you get beaten and we got beaten today.”
White was inducted into the Falcons Ring of Honor in 2019 (seen with owner Arthur Blank)
The Bulldogs aren’t the defending champions (No. 9 Michigan holds that title), but with a 43-2 record and two national titles since the start of the 2021 season, they are the standard in college football.
This run of dominance by Kirby Smart’s team began against Clemson in the 2021 season opener. That night in Charlotte, North Carolina, the Bulldogs beat the Tigers 10-3 without an offensive touchdown.
Since then it has been a one-sided affair.
“People say what they have to say,” Swinney said. “It doesn’t matter what I say. We do what’s best for Clemson. When you lose like that, they have every right to say what they want and write what they want.”
The Bulldogs lead the series over their rivals, 44-18-4.