As the Clemson Tigers begin to prepare for the 2026 college football season, the questions surrounding head coach Dabo Swinney continue to grow this offseason.

After reaching the College Football Playoff in 2024, many believed that the Tigers would be able to repeat their successful stint in 2025. Swinney’s squad went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the Texas Longhorns, losing the contest by a slim 38-24.

And with quarterback Cade Klubnik and multiple veteran playmakers returning for the 2025 season, the Tigers became the early favorites to win the National Championship in 2025.

However, this was far from the case.

Clemson kicked off the year with a brutal loss at home to the LSU Tigers, 17-10. The hard-fought battle did not scare the fanbase, as former head coach Brian Kelly and his squad were the No. 9 ranked team in the country at the time of the game. Unfortunately, the concerns would eventually come during the middle of the season.

It would not take long for Clemson pick up its second loss of the season in a road matchup against fellow ACC member, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. This sparked one of the worst stretches in recent memory for the program, as Swinney and the Tigers would lose four of their next six games, resulting in the team having a horrific 3-5 record through eight games.

Luckily, the once-dominant program managed to win the last four games of the regular season, making Clemson bowl-eligible. However, Swinney was unable to defeat the Penn State Nittany Lions in the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl, giving the team a final record of 7-6.

Swinney may have one of the best resumes amongst his peers at the college level, but the complete fall from grace adds a new layer to the discussions surrounding his job security.

With the transfer portal being a key part of roster building in college football, Swinney’s failure to utilize the portal is clearly preventing the program from having future success.

Looking at the past two National Champions, both Ohio State and Indiana were able to make it all the way due to each team’s moves within the transfer portal. Quarterbacks Will Howard and Fernando Mendoza were examples of transfer portal additions that have experience at the college level, which is needed for a Championship-caliber roster.

Now, with all eyes looking ahead at the 2026 season, Swinney must prove that his roster-building methods can still work in this new age of college sports. If not, the program needs to seriously reconsider Swinney as the team’s head coach.

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