ACC Football

President Donald Trump hosted the Clemson football team, which won the national championship over Alabama, at the White House on Jan. 14.

On Tuesday, Michael Harriot of The Root reported that the majority of black players on the team did not make the visit because of Trump.

"The Root spoke with three black Clemson players who each separately confirmed that many players, both black and white, had no interest in making the trip," Harriot wrote. "All three acknowledged that Donald Trump was the reason they chose not to attend."

Harriot noted that some black players cited "racism and their disdain for Trump's divisive politics" as reasons for not going. All told, 74 percent of the team's African American players did not go, per the report.

The Tigers aren't the only team where numerous members (or the entire franchise) has not made the visit during the Trump administration.

The Golden State Warriors have not gone despite winning the NBA Finals in 2017 and 2018, and the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl visit was canceled.

Per ESPN.com, "a large group of Eagles players had decided not to attend, including most—if not all—of the black players, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter. In fact, five or fewer Eagles players committed to attend the White House ceremony, a source told ESPN's Don Van Natta."

Furthermore, the North Carolina men's basketball and South Carolina women's hoops teams did not go in 2017, per Jerry Bembry of The Undefeated.

Bembry noted that other players have declined invites prior to Trump, such as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison. But the practice has become more common in the past two years.

Looking ahead, the 2018 World Series champion Boston Red Sox have a visit scheduled, although some players will not be attending. Notably, 2018 American League MVP Mookie Betts has declined an invite, per Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Staff ace Chris Sale, World Series MVP Steve Pearce and others will be going to the White House. That trip is "expected to happen" on May 9, per Darren Hartwell of NBC Sports Boston.

As quickly as The U was back, it became an afterthought in 2018. A 7-6 record led to Mark Richt's retirement, and Manny Diaz is the next head coach trying to make Miami a contender again.

For better or worse, he's doing it differently.

Miami is so invested in the transfer portal that if Diaz disappears, we'll have no choice but to believe in time travel.

Since Diaz took over, the Hurricanes have grabbed Tate Martell (Ohio State), Bubba Bolden (USC), K.J. Osborn (Buffalo) and Chigozie Nnoruka (UCLA). They also convinced Jeff Thomas, their leading receiver in 2018, to return instead of head to Illinois.

And so, Portal U was born.

Martell and Bolden were top-60 recruits. Osborn posted 892 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and Nnoruka notched 8.5 tackles for loss in 2017. Osborn and Nnoruka will be immediately eligible, while Bolden should be and Martell is appealing for a waiver.

Those transfers are in addition to Auburn running back Asa Martin and Butler left tackle Tommy Kennedy, who committed to Miami while Richt was still in charge.

Miami has also contacted UCLA's Jaelan Phillips―the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2017 class―who is scheduled to visit.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports reported there is "mutual interest" between the Canes and Trevon Hill, who amassed 20 tackles for loss at Virginia Tech in three seasons. And at this rate, there's a decent possibility Hill won't be the last target.

That is an objectively impressive group. No school has been more active or successful in the portal this offseason, particularly if either or both Phillips and Hill choose Miami.

But the "why" is equally as important.

Miami isn't in a position to prioritize anything other than the best players available. Mark Richt improved the roster and inarguably left The U in a better place than it was when he arrived, yet that doesn't mean the Canes are in a favorable spot.

The 2019 recruiting cycle is a mess. Leading up to national signing day, the class ranks 34th nationally after the Canes whiffed on several high-priority local targets long thought to be Miami leans.

For the Hurricanes to rejoin the national discussion on an annual basis, signing a handful of premier local prospects is essential. While there's too much competition to land everyone, securing only two of the state's top 25 players is a failure.

But that ship has sailed for this cycle. Miami needs reinforcements now.

Transfers are not the foundation of successful programs, yet they can be immensely valuable. Plucking a few veterans can provide a short-term boost. That's what Miami needs right now.

Since most recruits signed in the early signing period, Diaz's best route to upgrade the roster is through the portal.

No class of 2019 quarterback with interest in Miami is more promising than Martell. No 2019 safety with interest in Miami can benefit the secondary more than Bolden. No 2019 wideout or defensive tackle with interest in Miami is better prepared to stabilize those units in 2019 than Osborn (or Thomas) or Nnoruka.

The Canes could launch scholarship offers all over the country with the specific goal of filling the class. However, if the recipients are fringe-ACC-caliber prospects, the conversion rate―players who become full-time contributors―will be low. Adding bodies for the sake of bodies can harm future classes.

Diaz sees that reality.

"We don't have to be in a situation that we just grab whatever is left on the shelf," he said, per David Lake of 247Sports.

Yes, stars don't define a player; gems can be found. But it's a simple fact that 3-stars and below have significantly lower hit rates. Those are largely "developmental" players―a kind way of saying to not expect contributions for a few years.

Again, Miami cannot afford to wait. And it doesn't need to.

The ACC Coastal is consistently one of the worst Power Five conference divisions. Even while stuck in this perpetual climb toward contention, Miami usually has the highest-rated recruits compared to its Coastal foes. On talent alone, the Canes should be favored to win the division in 2019.

Yet in 14 years, the Canes have one ACC Championship Game appearance.

Recruits in this era didn't watch the dominant 2000 to 2003 Miami squads. These kids grew up seeing 7-6 and 9-4 teams and are attracted to the schools competing for national titles.

The obvious way to reshape that perception is to win. They want to see Coastal championships and an ACC title. But if that were so easy, we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Spending an offseason scouring the portal does not guarantee success, but transfers are more likely to help Diaz right now.

There are far worse strategies than stockpiling older talent.

If and when the 10-, 11-win seasons return, Miami will be a larger factor in recruiting. That should lead to a decreased reliance on the transfer database. Having a talented player for three or four seasons instead of one or two is clearly preferred.

But that's not going to happen if Diaz neglects the top available talent interested in the program.

For Miami, that means diving headfirst into the portal.

Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente remained positive in his message despite a rash of players transferring out of the program:

"I respect the fact that each individual’s circumstances and situation are different. We will continue to support all our student-athletes and wish them best whether their future is at Virginia Tech or another institution," Fuente said in his statement. 

In the last two days, four offensive players have entered themselves in the transfer portal or announced their decisions to move on, per Sam Cooper of Yahoo Sports. Quarterback Josh Jackson and running back Deshawn McClease have joined wide receiver Eric Kumah and tight end Chris Cunningham in looking for other schools.

All of them announced their decisions on Twitter, although Kumah was the only one who stated a reason, noting that receivers coach Holmon Wiggins was leaving the program. Per Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, the coach is headed to work in the same role at Alabama.

With 559 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season, Kumah was the most productive of the four transfers in 2018.

McClease also had a strong year with 433 rushing yards on 96 carries, but he has been with the program for four seasons and he is still behind Steven Peoples on the depth chart.

Jackson is another player likely concerned with playing time after losing his starting job this past season. The quarterback started as a freshman and threw 20 touchdown passes with six rushing touchdowns, but Ryan Willis took over under center in 2018.

A transfer could allow him to find a new chance to become a starter.

Meanwhile, Cunningham scored seven touchdowns in the past three seasons but only caught 22 total passes at tight end. He could potentially be an impact player for a team that uses him all over the field.

While these could all be significant losses for an offense that was up and down last season, Fuente seems to understand the different circumstances leading to their exits.

The Florida State football team found itself embroiled in controversy Monday.

The FSU Recruiting Twitter account that is associated with the team sent out an image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. appearing to do the school's tomahawk chop on Martin Luther King Day. One of King's quotes was included in the picture.

Myron Medcalf of ESPN sent along an image of the since-deleted tweet:

Florida State then issued an apology through the same Twitter account:

"In a well-intentioned effort to recognize Martin Luther King, Jr. on this special day, a member of our recruiting staff created a graphic using one of Dr. King's quotes – 'If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.' The quote resonated with our program's Do Something mantra.

"However, in our attempt to more closely connect the message to FSU, we foolishly posted a graphic that was not in line with our intent. We are sorry for missing the mark in our attempt to celebrate Dr. King's legacy."

Late in the third quarter of the national championship, Clemson holds a 37-16 lead. Comfortable, sure, yet Nick Saban and Alabama know this stage. It's not over.

Star freshman quarterback Trevor Lawrence is having a tremendous game, slicing a Crimson Tide defense like few have ever done. On this 3rd-and-9, however, the ball is drifting behind his intended target. 

But that target is Justyn Ross.

He leaps, extends a hand over Alabama cornerback Josh Jobe and snatches this pass. Seriously, the ball hardly moves from the moment it arrives in his grasp. Four plays later, Clemson scores another touchdown and kicks the extra point for a 44-16 advantage.

It's over.

This sequence, though, almost never had a chance to happen.

During his freshman year at Central High School in Phenix City, Alabama, Ross didn't want to play football anymore. Instead, as he told Matt Connolly of The State in October, basketball had his attention.

Fortunately for Clemson, football coach Jamey DuBose persuaded the talented athlete to stick it out.

"He walked in my office and told me he didn't want to play anymore," DuBose told Connolly. "I stood in front of the door and told him he wasn't going to ever walk out because he'd be making the biggest mistake of his entire life."

Within four years, Ross is on the brink of becoming a college football icon. His production is already worthy of the label.

As a true freshman, the 6'4", 210-pound wideout grabbed 46 passes for a team-high 1,000 yards. Ross scored nine touchdowns, and his 21.7-yard average per catch ranked fourth among qualifiers in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He ranked in the top six nationally of catches for at least 30, 40 and 50 yards.

The only comparable players returning for 2019 are 2018 Biletnikoff Award winner Jerry Jeudy from Alabama and Oklahoma State's Tylan Wallace―a second-team AP All-American. Those rising juniors are the class of the position in college football.

Along with teammate Tee Higgins, Ross is closing the gap.

While no one reaches 1,000 yards by accident, Ross didn't simply demolish weak teams. Sure, his first career 100-yard display came against Georgia Southern. But his two best performances of the season were under the brightest lights.

Against Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, Ross set career highs with six catches, 148 yards and two scores. During the national championship, he grabbed six passes for 153 yards and a touchdown.

Consider this, though: Ross hardly played a full season.

Four games into 2018, per Anna Hickey of 247Sports, he'd managed only 58 snaps―not routes, snaps. Ross gradually held a larger role, but his statistical ceiling is far from reached.

According to Pro Football Focus, he led the FBS in yards per route run.

Impressive, right? Given that he totaled 1,000 receiving yards, that number also means Ross ran fewer than 15 routes per game.

In 2019, Ross will be a fixture in the starting lineup. That, by itself, should lead to an increase in production. He'll likely garner a larger target share now that everyone's favorite AARP member, Hunter Renfrow, has finally run out of eligibility.

Development isn't necessarily linear, but Ross should improve. Lawrence is potentially a legend at quarterback, and the two's clearly apparent on-field connection isn't going to disappear.

Plus, Lawrence will have a greater impact next season. In 2018, he served as the backup to Kelly Bryant through four weeks. Throw in an injury-shortened fifth game, and the freshman quarterback was basically Clemson's full-time quarterback for only 10 appearances.

Despite that, Lawrence racked up 3,280 yards and 30 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Just think what he can accomplish as the undisputed No. 1 on the depth chart.

And that's the guy throwing Ross the football. He's still growing as a receiver and earning his place at Clemson, yet Ross is already college football's premier big-play weapon.

It's over.

All recruiting information via 247Sports' composite rankings. Stats from NCAA.com, cfbstats.com or B/R research. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.

BR Video

Former No. 2 dual-threat quarterback recruit Tate Martell is transferring from Ohio State to the University of Miami. Martell backed up Dwayne Haskins last season but is expecting to take over the starting job at The U. Watch the video above for more about the former Scout 5-star recruit and his transfer. 

Recruiting info via 247Sports and Scout.

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Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tate Martell has reportedly "lawyered up" as he attempts to receive a waiver for immediate eligibility for the 2019 season after he announced his transfer from the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports reported Wednesday that Martell plans to use OSU's coaching change from Urban Meyer to Ryan Day as the basis for his claim. A source close to the quarterback told Wiltfong the waiver attempt has a "better shot than you'd think."

The 20-year-old California native would have likely been forced to compete with Justin Fields for the Buckeyes' starting job. Fields transferred to Ohio State from the Georgia Bulldogs earlier in January and is expected to get a waiver to play in 2019.

If granted his own waiver, Martell will likely slot right in as the Canes' starter after the team's struggles at the critical position in 2018.

Miami quarterbacks, led by N'Kosi Perry and Malik Rosier, completed just 51.1 percent of their throws with 19 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions across 13 games in 2018.

Martell was a 4-star prospect and the No. 56 overall player in the 2017 recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He was listed as the second-best dual-threat QB in the group.

He appeared in six games this past season behind Heisman Trophy contender Dwayne Haskins after sitting out the 2017 campaign as a redshirt. He connected on 23 of his 28 throws (82.1 percent) for 269 yards and a touchdown. He added 128 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

Haskins declared for the 2019 NFL draft, leaving the Buckeyes' quarterback job up for grabs.

If Martell's waiver is denied, he won't be eligible to play until 2020, at which point he'll have two years of eligibility remaining with the Hurricanes.

Although the Clemson Tigers reportedly enjoyed their fast-food feast with President Donald Trump at the White House, a chorus of celebrities continue to offer the College Football Playoff national champions a chance to dine on more luxurious cuisine.

Ayesha Curry, the wife of Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, and former NFL star Michael Strahan each made dining proposals to the Tigers on Tuesday:

Rapper Quavo also offered to open the doors of Quality Control headquarters for Clemson:

Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence told TMZ Sports that Trump's decision to provide a variety of fast-food items was "awesome":

Lawrence threw three touchdown passes in Clemson's 44-16 blowout victory over the Alabama Crimson Tide in the national title game.

Kaitlan Collins and Liz Stark of CNN reported Trump paid for the meals himself since most of the White House food staff is furloughed because of the ongoing government shutdown.

Meanwhile, restaurant executive Nick Kokonas is also ready to feed the Clemson roster:

Although it's unclear whether the Tigers are going to accept any of the other food offers, they are free to do so under current NCAA guidelines, which changed in 2014 to allow "unlimited meals and snacks in conjunction with their athletics participation."

The president of the United States served the Clemson Tigers fast-food burgers.

Quavo apparently wants to teach them the "Stir Fry" way.

The Migos rapper took to Twitter on Tuesday, offering an open invitation for the college football national champions to "COME BY THE QC HEADQUARTERS" to show "HOW CHAMPS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED":

That siren you hear whistling in the background? That's the NCAA Fun Police with their notepads out ready to write out a violation.

It's unlikely Clemson will ever make its way to the Quavo compound for that reason; any free meals from the rapper would likely constitute a violation of NCAA rules.

President Donald Trump was the subject of both criticism and mockery Monday night when he hosted the Clemson football team and served everyone an array of fast-food items. Trump said he paid for the meal himself because of the government shutdown.

"Because of the shutdown, you know we have the great Clemson team with us, the national champions. So we went out and we ordered American fast food, paid for by me," Trump said. "Lots of hamburgers, lots of pizza."

Critics found the spread underwhelming, with some citing health concerns and others the optics of serving $2 hamburgers on what is usually a more luxurious occasion. Trump tweeted Tuesday that the entire spread was gone within an hour. 

For their part, the Clemson players and coaches did not seem to mind the cuisine. 

"What a fun day. It is an honor to be a part of this tradition," Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney said. "To be honest with you, it is really cool that football can create an opportunity like this."

It's unclear exactly what Quavo would plan to serve the players. But if the lyrics to "Stir Fry" are any indication, odds are he'll come equipped with chicken like Popeye's.

The Clemson Tigers visited the nation's capital Monday to celebrate their 2018 national title with President Donald Trump at the White House, and College Football Playoff National Championship offensive MVP Trevor Lawrence had nothing but good things to say about the trip.

TMZ Sports caught up to Lawrence on Monday night, and the Tigers quarterback called the experience "awesome":

"It was awesome," Lawrence told TMZ Sports. "We had McDonald's and everything. It was good!"

Lawrence said he hopes to make the trip "hopefully a few more" times.

Social media was abuzz Monday when it was revealed the Tigers would be feasting on the likes of McDonald's, Wendy's and Burger King, which President Trump called "great American food":

It may not have included Lawrence's beloved Chick-fil-A, but the Clemson freshman didn't seem to have any complaints.