Enigmatic Clemson tries to navigate new collegiate realities while balancing old school approach

Enigmatic Clemson tries to navigate new collegiate realities while balancing old school approach

Can Dabo Swinney successfully operate in a world of transfer portals and NIL deals?

It was not long ago when pre-season national champion projection short lists always had Clemson listed. Five star high school recruits frequently had the Tigers as a finalists to secure their commitment. New Year’s day bowl appearances were a given. ACC titles were their birthright. Swinney ran a program that was a significant pipeline for NFL talent. Clemson was as elite as any program might claim.

However, college football fans have been made keenly aware that the only constant is change and that change can occur quickly. Yes, Clemson still produces highly coveted NFL prospects, but their security on the throne of the ACC is precarious. With the additions of three new programs, the proliferation of transfer portal candidates, and lucrative, unregulated name, image, and likeness deals (NIL), the ACC playing field is noticeably more level. The 2023 season was a sobering reminder to Clemson faithful that rivals can catch and overtake the king quickly. The Tigers finished sixth in the ACC jungle standings with a conference record of 4-4. Although their overall 9-4 record, including a Gator Bowl victory of Kentucky, would be regarded a success for majority of ACC programs, last season was a bitter pill for fans, players, and staff.

Those close to the Clemson program might have believed that 2023 was substandard, but NFL coaches and general managers did not. Teams liked Tiger talent enough to draft six players and sign two more as priority free agents. The first Clemson player off the board was CB Nate Wiggins who was selected 30th in the first round to the defensive minded Baltimore Ravens. It wasn’t long before he had a teammate selected. The Houston Texans drafted DT Ruke Orhorhor early in the second round, 35th overall. RB Will Shipley was the first Tiger drafted on day three when he became when he was selected 127th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles in round four. He would be joined by legacy selection Jeremiah Trotter, Jr., the son of the long-time and popular Eagle’s LB, in round five, 155th overall. Between the two new Philadelphia prospects, DE Xavier Thomas was taken in the fifth round, 138th overall by the Arizona Cardinals. The last Tiger to be drafted was DT Tyler Davis to the Los Angeles Rams in the sixth round and 196th overall. After the draft, DB Jalyn Phillips (Rams) and OL Will Putnam (Las Vegas Raiders) agreed to priority free agent contracts.

The roster defections were not just limited to the draft. Swinney and his staff saw twelve players depart via the transfer portal. Those players were either younger players seeking more playing time elsewhere or veteran players making use of graduate transfer rules for one last season on a college campus and to further their academic careers. The one notable loss was DB Andrew Mukuba who joined Head Coach Steve Sarkisian’s Texas Longhorns. Mukuba is rated as the sixth best defensive back and 97th best prospect according to nflmockdraftdatabase.com.

Swinney abhors the transfer portal and refuses to utilize it for roster upgrades. That position runs contrary to every other coach in college football and is the source of enormous frustration to program observers. As has been stated previously, Swinney is old school. Any talent infusion continues to arrive from incoming college freshmen. To his credit, Swinney is still a top notch recruiter. His 2024 signing class was rated 11th nationally by 247sports.com. That was good enough to finish behind only Miami, 4th, and associate member Notre Dame, 9th, in the ACC. The class featured two five-star recruits and 10 four-star recruits.

Even with multiple star players moving up to the NFL, the Clemson cabinet is not barren. There are experienced players on the roster with solid resumes returning. They will be closely watched by NFL scouts in advance of the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, WI. No one will have more eyes on him than junior QB Cade Klubnik. Tiger fans are hoping he is more Trevor Lawrence than DJ Uiagalelei. Currently he is ranked as the 13th best draft eligible QB, #165 overall, according to nflmockdraftdatabase.com. Klubnik has the tools, intangibles, and weapons to vault up draft boards as the season progresses.

There are other Clemson players that find themselves ranked inside the nflmockdraftdatabase.com

Top 200. The highest rated of them is LB Barrett Carter at 30th. He is followed by OT Blake Miller, #81, TE Jake Bringingstool, #118, S RJ Mickens, #136, and DL DeMonte Capehart, #164., RB Phil Mafah just missed the cut at #206.

The following Clemson players have been placed on pre-season award watch lists:

LB Barrett Carter – Bednarik, Butkus, and Senior Bowl

QB Cade Klubnik – Maxwell, O’Brien, Manning

RB Phil Mafah – Maxwell, Walker, Senior Bowl

TE Jake Bringingstool – Mackey, Senior Bowl

DL Peter Woods – Bednarik

OL Blake Miller – Lombardi, Senior Bowl

The following Clemson players have been named to the pre-season Senior Bowl watch list:

DL DeMonte Capehart, DB RJ Mickens, OL Walker Paris, P Aidan Swanson, OL Marcus Tate

Swinney and his staff should have sufficient weapons to contend to play in the ACC title game. There are others positioned to fight the Tigers for the two available spots, but the title picture was clouded by Florida State’s shocking loss to Georgia Tech in their season opener in Dublin, Ireland. This season opens a new chapter in ACC football. The additions of California, SMU, and Stanford add an unprecedent level of travel and disruption. Dozens of variables surround every program, and every variable is a potential landmine to a successful season. If Swinney endures another mediocre, by Clemson standards, season, there will be enormous pressure on the head coach to modernize his thinking. An ACC title and a berth in college football’s new playoff will allow the masses to ignore the flaws and shortcomings of Dabo Swinney’s approach.