A restricted transfer window left Dabo Swinney struggling to patch a depleted offensive line and gamble on unproven talent, potentially stalling Clemson's ACC championship ambitions.
The Clemson Tigers lost nine players to the 2026 NFL Draft from a squad that went 7-6 last season.
The Tigers were aggressive in trying to land defensive talent in the transfer portal this offseason, but the team could have done more to try and compete with Miami for the ACC championship.
Clemson took a gamble by going with a quarterback battle in-house. Instead of landing an elite quarterback in the transfer portal, Christopher Vizzina is expected to be the starter in Week 1.
Cody Nagel of CBS Sports argued that the Tigers were one of the programs most affected by the rule change shutting down the spring transfer portal this year. The rule was put in place to stop tampering during spring football.
The Tigers’ offensive line might be worse for the wear after not being able to add reinforcements for the summer.
"This was the most active Clemson has been in the transfer portal since its existence, yet Dabo Swinney added just 10 newcomers and did not address arguably the two biggest concerns for the 2026 roster," Nagel wrote. "The Tigers are putting their chips on Christopher Vizzina as the new starter at quarterback, which is fine given his pedigree as a four-star recruit out of high school.
"But Clemson did little to reinforce protection up front after losing four starters along the offensive line and is now relying on minimal returning experience and internal development to stabilize the unit. It'd be foolish to assume Swinney would be proactive in adding experienced offensive line help even if there were a spring portal window, but it still feels like a missed chance to at least ease concerns up front."
The Tigers are hoping that changes to the coaching staff will help offset concerns with the roster this season. Clemson has gotten the best out of its talent in the past under Swinney, but the team has been inconsistent this decade.
Clemson should have enough talent to challenge in the ACC, but the Tigers lack the firepower to beat Miami in the upcoming season. Still, a nine- or 10-win team would show much-needed improvement in 2026.