How Clemson's social media crew is winning the Internet

The call came shortly after Clemson topped Florida State to clinch the ACC Atlantic Division championship in November. Jonathan Gantt, the school's director of new and creative media, was walking out of Memorial Stadium toward his car.

“It was one of our recruits who is now signed and is an early enrollee here, Rahshaun Smith. He’s a linebacker who was highly recruited by a lot of different programs across the country,” Gantt said. “He calls me and he says, ‘Hey, is this Jonathan?’ He had got my number from one of the other members of the football sports’ staff and he said, ‘Hey, I just wanted to tell you you’re doing a great job with all the graphics and videos on social media.’”

Smith, a four-star linebacker from IMG Academy in Florida, wasn’t the only one to notice Gantt’s work.

In 2015 Clemson’s popularity skyrocketed as the Tigers went 14-1 and reached the national title game for the second time in school history and the first time since 1981. Helping fuel the Tigers’ rapidly rising profile was Gantt and his army of 25-plus social media warriors whose innovative work helped win over Smith and enabled Clemson to be named the No. 1 Twitter handle to follow in college football by Sports Illustrated.