Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers earned a major take about their use of the transfer portal.
Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers had a rough 2025 season, going 7-6 and falling way short of the College Football Playoff, and even missing the ACC Title Game.
It was clear heading into the offseason that Clemson needed to improve their roster drastically to have a bounce-back season in 2026.
That is exactly what Swinney has done, as he's been more aggressive than ever in the transfer portal, being named a top 10 school that has gotten off to a hot start in the transfer portal, according to Max Olson of ESPN.
"Let's give credit where credit is due. Dabo Swinney took a lot of grief over the years for his resistance to portal recruiting. The trio of transfers he brought in a year ago -- Will Heldt, Tristan Smith and Jeremiah Alexander -- all paid off and started games this season, with Heldt emerging as an All-ACC performer. Now, the Tigers are fully going for it this year, signing a strong group of defensive contributors to help get things fixed after a disappointing 7-6 season. Ferrelli was the ACC's Defensive Rookie of the Year at Cal this season as a redshirt freshman. Carter and Myrick were two of the top safeties in the Sun Belt, and Merritt and Starr are two promising freshmen who were ESPN 300 recruits a year ago. Clemson is off to a good start," Olson wrote.
The additions the Tigers have made could transform their defense in the 2026 season. However, Swinney's aggressiveness in adding talent through the portal can't end here.
Clemson will need to upgrade their roster on offense with Chad Morris taking over at offensive coordinator for Garrett Riley.
This will be Morris's second stint as the offensive coordinator for Clemson, and he will look to turn around the offense.
One major position of need is at quarterback, as Cade Klubnik finished out his senior season. In the 2025 season, he completed 65.6 percent of his passes for 2,943 yards, 16 touchdowns, and six interceptions. He also rushed for 94 yards and four touchdowns.
Finding a quarterback to replace Klubnik must be at the top of Clemson's list to turn around the program in 2026.
While Swinney and the Tigers have been more aggressive in using the transfer portal, they still have some work to do to make it back to the College Football Playoff.