Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney is entering a critical season.
The Clemson Tigers were one of the most disappointing teams in the country last season, and Dabo Swinney caught plenty of heat for it.
Swinney's refusal to utilize the transfer portal and archaic recruiting methods were hot topics of discussion throughout 2025, and it has led to some wondering whether or not the two-time national champion could be on hot seat heading into 2026.
During a recent episode of the College Football Enquirer podcast, Andy Staples of On 3 said he believes that Swinney potentially being hired is "very much on the table" and thinks that the typically stubborn head coach has even done some soul searching.
"The quarterback situation where they’re bringing up the longtime backup, the OC hire where they hired Chad Morris, who was the guy who worked 14 years ago in a different era. … I’m telling you, from Dabo’s rhetoric, I think there’s been a little more looking in the mirror," Staples said.
Staples also feels that Swinney may have been hit with a sobering reality check when it comes to how he is viewed across the college football landscape, saying that Swinney "thought that if [Alabama Crimson Tide head coach] Kalen DeBoer left for another job, that 'Bama would call him. I think he understands that’s not happening now."
Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney. Credit: Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Clemson went just 7-6 last season, marking its worst finish since going 6-7 back in 2010, Swinney's second full year with the program.
The Tigers have also not won a playoff game since 2019, so there is no doubt that Swinney's reputation has taken a hit in recent years.
Clemson's fall from grace has been rapid. The school made four National Championship Game appearances between 2015 and 2019, capturing a pair of titles. Since then, the Tigers have almost faded into near irrelevancy.
Is that all Swinney's fault? Absolutely not. College football has changed drastically over the last half-decade, but Swinney does deserve plenty of blame for not adapting.
It should be noted that the 56-year-old did land 10 players in the transfer portal this winter, which was twice the amount of transfers he bagged between 2022 and 2025 in totality. So perhaps Swinney really is taking notes.
We'll see if Clemson can bounce back next fall.
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