Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers aren't used to this.
Dabo Swinney has long been one of the best head coaches in the country, having led the Clemson Tigers to four National Championship Game appearances and two titles between 2015 and 2019.
However, the college football landscape has changed considerably since then, so much so that some have wondered if Swinney can even keep up.
The new NIL era has resulted in massive swings across the nation, particularly with the transfer portal. It's an area that Swinney had refused to utilize in years past, and it resulted in Clemson ultimately going just 7-6 in a wildly disappointing season in 2025.
But now, Swinney appears to be taking the transfer portal seriously, as he has already landed 10 commitments from 10 players this winter. On top of that, On 3 has ranked the Tigers' transfer portal haul 21st in the country and fourth in the ACC, a stark change from previous offseasons.
You want to hear something absurd? Between 2022 and 2025, Clemson landed a grand total of five transfers, and three of those came last year. So the Tigers have more than doubled their output in that four-year span in just one offseason, and there is still plenty of time left.
Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney. Credit: Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK.It is very unusual to see Clemson placed so highly in any sort of transfer portal rankings, so Swinney absolutely deserves credit for this dramatic shift.
Would it have been nice if Swinney started being more aggressive in the portal a few years ago? Sure. It probably would have saved the Tigers a whole lot of heartache in 2025. But it's better late than never, and Swinney appears to be attacking the portal with gusto this offseason.
Clemson has added one four-star transfer thus far, which came in the form of former Colorado Buffaloes edge rusher London Merritt. It also just bagged a very compelling running back in Chris Johnson Jr., and linebacker Luke Ferrelli is interesting, as well.
Of course, the Tigers still have a very long way to go. They still need to see if they can find a quarterback, as Cade Klubnik is headed to the NFL. They also must continue shoring up their defense after losing so many key players to the draft.
All things considered, the fact that Clemson is already receiving such prominent recognition this early in the offseason is a tremendous sign and indicates that Swinney is definitely headed in a positive direction.