Ronan Hanafin has officially transitioned to linebacker for Clemson, a move that head coach Dabo Swinney confirmed during his Tuesday press conference. Originally recruited as both a receiver and linebacker, Hanafin’s shift to defense comes after spending the past year as a wide receiver.
“We moved him to defense about three weeks ago,” Swinney said. “We really are excited about Ronan, and that is how we recruited him. A lot of people offered him as a defensive player. Alabama offered him as a defensive player. Some people offered him as a receiver.”
Swinney explained that while Clemson admired Hanafin’s high school film as a linebacker, the coaching staff allowed him to start as a receiver because it was his preferred position. However, after evaluating his performance over the past year, they felt his skills were better suited for defense. “I told his family up front when we evaluated him as a defensive player; he was a no-brainer,” Swinney noted. “It was harder for me to evaluate him as a receiver…the one thing I believe in is you let a kid play what he wants to play.”
Despite his limited experience as a linebacker, Swinney praised Hanafin as “one of the best pure football players on this team” and someone with a natural aptitude for defense. However, the late transition has left Hanafin a bit behind in his understanding of the defensive schemes. “The unfortunate thing for him right now is we just moved him in camp. So he is certainly behind a little bit,” Swinney said. For now, Hanafin will continue to contribute to special teams where he has already made an impact.
As the season progresses, Hanafin is expected to develop into a key defensive player, reflecting the potential Clemson saw in him during recruitment.