Another year is about to go by with Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program not utilizing the transfer portal.
Around the college football landscape, teams left and right take advantage of the transfer portal and bring in some much-needed talent that can completely change their team’s outlook for the next season. Even so, Swinney and the Tigers don’t truly take advantage of this.
Don’t get me wrong, they tried a bit harder this offseason, but the Tigers struck out on every single offensive line target they went after. As they didn’t land an offensive lineman, they didn’t land anyone with another transfer period going by where Clemson simply didn’t bring in any talent.
There are varying opinions on how important this is. From my personal perspective, I love Swinney as a coach, but at a certain point, you need to adapt before you continue to fall too far behind. There’s no doubt that Clemson does well recruiting and bringing in talent that can make a difference there, but it is becoming way too evident that it’s not enough.
Bleacher Report recently named the top winners and losers from this transfer portal period, with Swinney being named a loser.
There is something to be said for building your program the “right way” with the culture you expect and the players you believe will mesh will with the players currently on your roster.
As a matter of fact, coaches all around the country are taking that into consideration in the transfer portal era.
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t get it.
That part of the evolution of the sport in this era has passed him by. The Tigers again aren’t a factor in the transfer portal and don’t want to be. Every top-25 program has transfers coming in except them.
Since the advent of the portal, Swinney has brought in just two players, backup quarterbacks with one year of eligibility Paul Tyson (last year) and Hunter Johnson (in 2022, who was a former Tiger who had transferred to Northwestern earlier in his career).
Coming off a 9-4 season in which the Tigers failed to make the ACC championship game, they had the opportunity to enhance the roster. They still carry clout for now after winning a pair of national championships in the past decade. But for how long?
The transfer portal is a necessary evil in college football these days, and it’s impacting the Tigers whether they want it to or not. Ten players left Swinney’s program. If you replace them constantly with freshmen, you’re consistently behind.
It hurts to say, but it’s tough to disagree with this assessment. At what point is it going to be too late? If Clemson doesn’t come out in 2024 and return to powerhouse status in the ACC (a dying conference), then what’s next? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? At what point is it time to prove that things are broken here and it is time to fix it?
Swinney remains one of the top coaches in college football, and Clemson is lucky to have him… but it’s time for Swinney to look in the mirror and accept fate. It’s time to get talent from the portal.