Though Dabo Swinney doesn’t believe name, image and likeness opportunities for prospective college athletes is the be-all, end-all when it comes to recruiting, Clemson’s football coach also doesn’t want his program to be at a disadvantage in that space.
“I don’t think anybody’s going to come to Clemson because of NIL, but I don’t want (recruits) to not come,” Swinney told The Clemson Insider this week.
But Swinney doesn’t necessarily see the opportunity for players to profit off their name, image and likeness (NIL) as a necessity to continue attracting high-end talent to Clemson, where Swinney has signed a top-15 class seven out of the last eight years, according to the 247Sports Composite. That includes five straight top-10 classes.
Clemson only has three commitments in the 2023 recruiting cycle so far, though two of them — Briarwood Christian (Alabama) School quarterback Christopher Vizzina (No. 52) and Miami Edison (Florida) High receiver Nathaniel Joseph (87) — are top-90 recruits in the 247Sports Composite.
“The same kids that have always come to Clemson are still going to come to Clemson,” Swinney said.
NIL has been a major player in the shifting landscape of college athletics since last summer when the NCAA adopted an interim policy making it legal for athletes to profit from such opportunities. And Clemson is now part of the game.
Three former Clemson football players recently launched TigerImpact, a collective similar to other third-party NIL fundraising efforts already in place at other schools around the country. TigerImpact, which is not affiliated with Clemson University, is partnering with athletes across multiple sports, including football, to pay out more than $5 million in exchange for their work with local charities.
Swinney said he’s always supported NIL opportunities for his players, but he said he views them as “ just another spoke in the wheel” when it comes to recruiting.
“It’s not the cog in the wheel, it’s a spoke in the wheel,” Swinney said. “Just like you have got to have good strength and conditioning. You’ve got to have good academic services. You’ve got to have good dining. You’ve got to have all these things.”
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