We’ve all heard about the transfer portal, but have you heard of the NFL portal?
Well, if you haven’t, good… it’s not a real thing! While it isn’t a real thing, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said that’s exactly where the Tigers went to get star linebacker Barrett Carter to return for another season.
“We went to the ‘NFL portal’ and got us one right there,” Swinney said about Barrett Carter with a smile. “Pretty excited about him.”
Carter played in 11 games this season for the Tigers, ranking second on the team with 59 total tackles and third with nine tackles for loss while adding three sacks. Fans should be thrilled to have Carter back, and we know for a fact that Swinney is.
So, why the return? A lot of it has to do with draft stock and what Carter can do for his stock as a 2025 NFL Draft member.
“I think he’s got a chance to be a top-15, top-20 pick (in the 2025 NFL Draft), and he’s not that this year,” Swinney said. “He’s a guy that’s obviously on everybody’s radar, and he’s positioned himself, there’s no question, to get drafted. But he’s just one of those kids that wants to finish. He wants to finish. I think had he got a first-round grade, he wouldn’t be here. It probably would’ve been an easier decision.”
While this is part of the case, it does go deeper than just that. Carter has unfinished business at Clemson, and there’s no better way to handle that than to return for another season.
“He wants to finish. He’s got more work he wants to get done at Clemson,” Swinney said. “He wants to be a graduate, he wants to be a leader, he wants to be a captain, and he wants to win a national championship. So, he’s excited, and so are we.”
Carter will look to have a huge season in 2024.