In the past five recruiting classes, Clemson has signed the fifth-most talent in the country among all college football teams. In that span, LSU has signed the sixth-most talent.
On Monday, the two teams will battle for the College Football Playoff National Championship (8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN App).
Here is a look at how the teams were built through recruiting.
LSU Tigers
Cumulative class ranking: LSU signed the sixth-most talent in the country the past five classes. In the ultra-competitive SEC recruiting landscape, that haul ranks below that of West Division foe Alabama and current East pacesetter Georgia but ahead of the conference's other top-10 recruiting programs, Auburn and Florida. In this season's playoff, the Tigers have by far the most in-state-fueled roster, with 53% of their signees coming from Louisiana. Additionally, Ed Orgeron & Co. did not receive recruiting points for their most important player, Heisman Trophy-winning QB Joe Burrow (No. 298 in 2015 ESPN 300), who transferred from Ohio State.
Key position: Defensive back. Burrow won the Heisman. The pass-catchers feature a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in All-American Ja'Marr Chase (No. 269 in 2018) and first-round prospect Justin Jefferson, as well as former five-star Terrace Marshall Jr. (No. 10 in 2018) and Randy Moss' son, Thaddeus Moss (three-star in 2016). But we're going with the defensive backs here due to the number of premium recruits who have produced in Death Valley and figure to be high NFL picks. Safety Grant Delpit (No. 47 in 2017), a first-round draft prospect and Thorpe Award Winner, and true freshman CB Derek Stingley Jr. (No. 18 in 2019) earned All-American accolades. Safety JaCoby Stevens (No. 25 in 2017), who showed his versatility with 85 tackles, including 8.5 TFL and five sacks, along with three INTs and six pass breakups, earned All-SEC recognition. Potential first-round selection Kristian Fulton (No. 27 in 2017) and Kary Vincent Jr. (No. 23 in 2017) round out one of the most talented position groups in the nation.
Key out-of-state pipeline: Texas. With so much of the talent -- Chase, Jefferson, Stingley, Fulton, RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire (No. 219 in 2017), OG Adrian Magee (four-star in 2015), DT Rashard Lawrence (No. 12 in 2016) and many more -- coming from Louisiana, the Tigers don't need much help from outside state lines. However, Texas accounts for 14% of LSU's signees the past five classes, including some of its best players. Vincent played at Memorial High School in Port Arthur, Texas. First-team All-SEC LB K'Lavon Chaisson (No. 34 in 2017) and second-team All-SEC RT Austin Deculus (No. 19 in 2017) both hail from the Houston area. Delpit finished his high school career at IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) but is also a Houston native. Additionally, kicker Cade York is a Texas product.
Impact true freshmen: Stingley was LSU's top defensive signee in 2019 and quickly established himself as arguably the premier freshman in America, with six interceptions, including two in the SEC title game, and 15 pass breakups. Cordale Flott (three-star) and Maurice Hampton Jr. (No. 107) played in 13 and 11 games, respectively, despite a loaded defensive secondary. DT Siaki Ika (No. 185) worked his way into the rotation along the defensive line. York, thrown into the fire of an undefeated SEC regular season, made 83 of 87 extra point attempts and 21 of 26 field goal attempts, earning all-SEC recognition.
Recruits who exceeded expectations: WR Justin Jefferson was much less heralded than brothers Jordan and Rickey, both of whom played for LSU. He didn't sign with the Tigers until weeks before the 2017 season and was their lowest-rated recruit by every recruiting service. However, the past two seasons, he has caught 142 passes for 2,309 yards and 24 TDs, and he expects to hear his name called in the first round of the NFL draft. Up front, center Lloyd Cushenberry III was LSU's lowest-rated recruit in 2016, but he turned himself into an All-SEC performer.
Clemson Tigers
Cumulative class ranking: Clemson recruited the fifth-most talent in the nation the past five years. However, the Tigers managed to secure that ranking despite signing at least 12 fewer prospects than any of the other playoff teams. Dabo Swinney and his staff do a better job than any other school in the country of not only signing elite talent but also identifying high-probability prospects who are cultural fits for the program. The result is fewer nonqualifiers or quick transfers who boost recruiting rankings but don't contribute to the pursuit of national titles.
Key position: Wide receiver. QB Trevor Lawrence (No. 2 in 2018 ESPN 300) has a host of talented pass-catchers at his disposal. Tee Higgins (No. 18 in 2017), a first-round draft prospect and first-team All-ACC selection, paced the group this season with 1,115 yards and 13 TDs. Last season, Justyn Ross (No. 74 in 2018) led the unit with 1,000 yards. Veterans Amari Rodgers (No. 72 in 2017) and Diondre Overton (No. 135 in 2016) provided reliable depth, while a pair of true freshmen, Joe Ngata (No. 159) and Frank Ladson Jr. (No. 38), each chipped in with three scores.
Key out-of-state pipeline: Georgia. With Kansas talent and high-first-round prospect Isaiah Simmons (four-star in 2016) headlining the defense, one might think that Clemson has used its national prominence to reach across the country to fill out its roster. However, during Swinney's tenure, the Tigers have maintained a tight recruiting footprint, signing more than 70% of their players the past five classes from four states: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In that span, Swinney & Co. have dipped into the Peach State most frequently. Former five-star Lawrence, first-team All-ACC OT Tremayne Anchrum (three-star in 2016) and No. 2 RB Lyn-J Dixon (No. 171 in 2018) hail from Georgia. On defense, first-team All-ACC CB A.J. Terrell (No. 106 in 2017) and LB James Skalski (three-star in 2016), second on the team in tackles, were also plucked out of Georgia.
Impact true freshmen: Like Christian Wilkins and Dexter Lawrence before him, DT Tyler Davis (No. 58 in 2019) stepped in as a starter from day one for the Tigers and earned freshman All-America recognition after posting 48 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. Despite a loaded receiver group, Ngata caught 17 passes for 240 yards and three TDs while serving as the Tigers' primary kick returner.
Recruits who exceeded expectations: Starting safeties Tanner Muse and K'Von Wallace are among the lowest-rated Clemson signees in the past five classes, but each has earned All-ACC recognition in back-to-back seasons. DE Logan Rudolph, younger brother of Steelers QB Mason Rudolph, was a highly coveted three-star recruit but has battled with some of the most heavily touted prospects in the country for his eight starts, including Xavier Thomas (No. 4 in 2018), Justin Foster (No. 73 in 2017), K.J. Henry (No. 6 in 2018) and Justin Mascoll (No. 102 in 2018).