CHARLOTTE — Is Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney leaving the Tigers?
The answer is no, but if the 16-year Tigers coach did, he said he would reshape his new program by being the “greatest portal recruiter ever.”
“If I took a job somewhere else, I’d be the greatest portal recruiter ever because half of my roster would be gone, and I’d have to go put it together,” Swinney said Thursday at ACC Kickoff.
Swinney cited Clemson’s top-15 recruiting classes in the past and his team’s retention rate of star players as to why he would be the unquestioned transfer recruiter. He faced criticism for the Tigers being one of four FBS schools to not land a transfer in 2024, but since Clemson doesn’t lose its key performers, he rarely dips into the portal.
If a surprise vacancy arises, Swinney said he and his staff trust the development of the player they recruited from high school over an incoming transfer who would take a roster spot from a current one. He added the Tigers have only lost five players to the portal after spring practices since 2021.
Here are three other takeaways from Swinney’s availability at ACC Kickoff:
Dabo Swinney opposes ‘unattended consequence’ of increased scholarship count
According to Yahoo Sports, the NCAA is set to finalize an increase in roster limits for football, raising the scholarship limit from 85 to 105 players. Other sports also will receive a boost in roster size, providing financial support to more players.
The increase likely will mean the end of walk-ons, and Swinney mourned the potential demise.
“There’s not many coaches that want 105 scholarships,” said Swinney, who was a walk-on wide receiver at Alabama in 1989. “We want to keep our walk-ons. It’s hard to manage that many guys. When you have that many guys on scholarship — you think you got transfers now, wait till that number gets there. It’s going to be a lot.”
Swinney believes it will be a boost for baseball, soccer and other sports. For football, though, he said it will eliminate the players who play a crucial role in game prep week to week. Without walk-ons, it will increase injury risk for players in practices. Add in the college football season may be 16 and 17 games for some teams, programs may be ravaged with ailments when the College Football Playoff comes.
The Tigers coach also added the elimination of walk-ons will get rid of the players who want to be a part of programs and to help in practices.
“It’s frustrating,” Swinney said. “We’re going to play more games than we’ve ever played, practice more than we’ve ever played, finish longer than we’ve ever played and have the smallest roster we’ve ever had.”
MORE: How Clemson football QB Cade Klubnik has leaned on Trevor Lawrence, other NFL sources to improve
Dabo Swinney on having stability at quarterback with Cade Klubnik
Ten ACC teams brought in transfer quarterbacks in the offseason, but Clemson will be one of the select teams that will return their 2023 starter. Tigers junior Cade Klubnik logged 2,844 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season. He led the conference in passing attempts and completions but had the fewest yards per attempt (6.3) in the league.
With a full year under offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, there is optimism Klubnik can improve mightily in 2024. That continuity has Swinney hopeful, too.
“It’s always great when you’re not starting over, and you’ve got a guy that’s grown, had some experience under hisbelt,” Swinney said. “It will be Cade’s first time to have the same coach, same system. I think we all expect to see some great growth from that.”
Dabo Swinney on ACC football expanding to 17 teams
The ACC added SMU, California, Stanford to the conference, and Clemson will face the Cardinal on Sept. 28 at Memorial Stadium. Swinney is excited to have the new teams in the conference but was more thrilled at the chance for the Tigers being able to secure one of four College Football Playoff byes if they win the ACC.
“The days of divisions and all that stuff are gone. It’s always been about winning this league,” Swinney said. “I think that’s the main thing. Now, not only if you win the league, you have an opportunity to be in the playoff, but you got a great chance to get the bye.”
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How Clemson’s Dabo Swinney could be ‘greatest portal recruiter ever’
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