The shifting landscape of college athletics has been well-documented over the last year.
From the introduction of name, image and likeness opportunities for student-athletes to the transfer portal to the latest round of conference realignment, there’s plenty of change and uncertainty for universities and their athletic departments.
Yet Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney said his program hasn’t been drastically affected by the current state of affairs.
“What we’ve experienced, because obviously things have been very crazy in this world with all the different changes in college football, the more chaotic it’s gotten, the better it’s been for Clemson,” Swinney said.
He also gave one primary reason as to why he believes the Tigers, who have won six ACC championships and a pair of national titles within the previous seven years, are in a good spot to continue thriving regardless of whether Clemson remains in the ACC or ends up in another conference at some point in the future.
“Because of the foundation that we have here, because of who we are and because of all the processes we have in place and the people we have in place,” Swinney said. “But, more importantly, the established culture that we have. There aren’t many places out there that have that. The more chaotic it’s gotten, the more attractive we’ve become to the people that really value what we offer, and that’s the truly holistic approach to developing as a man, not just a football player. The long-term value of education and relationships, and all that comes with that.”
Swinney’s 14th full season as Clemson’s head coach will begin Friday when the Tigers open fall camp looking for their 12th straight 10-win season. Recruiting is still going strong, too.
Clemson, which has had two NIL collectives launch since the spring, is fresh off signing the nation’s No. 10 recruiting class and is working on the No. 7-ranked class for 2023, according to the 247Sports Composite. Briarwood Christian (Alabama) School five-star quarterback Christopher Vizzina and Thompson (Alabama) High five-star defensive lineman Peter Woods headline a group of 18 verbal commits so far for the Tigers, 15 of which have joined the class since June.
“There are a lot of narratives out there, and a lot of people forget that we’ve had 12 top-15 recruiting classes in a row,” Swinney said. “We’ve won a lot of games and are second in draft picks since I’ve been the head coach and second in first-round picks. Even though we’ve never really had a No. 1 class, we’ve developed very well. And we’ve won at a really high level around here.”
Dear Old Clemson has added to the store posters signed by all 20 members of Clemson’s 2022 football class.
Now there is a new way you can support Clemson student-athletes. Purchase collectibles from Dear Old Clemson and the proceeds with go to support Clemson student-athletes. Visit Dear Old Clemson to find out how you can help!
