The Clemson football program has become, in a way, a polarizing team in college football.
Dabo Swinney and his team go against the grain, and it has been an interesting and intriguing process for people to watch. While the transfer portal has become an integral piece of college football, it hasn’t been for the Tigers, who are going through another offseason without bringing in a single transfer.
Some understand why Swinney and the Tigers do this. Many others don’t. In the Athletic’s latest post-spring Top 25 rankings ($$$), analyst Ari Wasserman didn’t hold back talking about the Tigers.
When you look at the other teams on this list, you see coaches who tried very hard to address holes on their roster through the portal. Clemson’s offense was difficult to watch at times last year yet the Tigers did nothing in the portal, which has been my ongoing critique of Dabo Swinney. Though Clemson should have one of the best defenses in the country, quarterback Cade Klubnik is going to have to turn into a magician to get this team back into the national championship discussion. It’s a shame that’s the case because we aren’t far removed from the Tigers being a national favorite year after year.
These are the moments that are difficult to spin things in a positive way on our end. While I understand why Swinney does what he does and respect him as one of the best head coaches in college football history, it’s tough to argue against Wasserman is point here.
You don’t need to fully immerse yourself in the transfer portal as the Tigers, just a few spots here and there where you genuinely need the help. While I do understand why Swinney does what he does, it could restrict the program from reaching the levels they’ve reached not too long ago.