Times are tough for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers.
The Clemson Tigers were once one of the most powerful schools in the country when it came to putting together title-contending rosters, and Dabo Swinney's recruiting prowess was the driving force behind it.
Clemson made it to four National Championship Games between 2015 and 2019, winning two of them. The Tigers were the gold standard in college football.
Since then, however, Clemson has fallen off considerably, so much so that it went just 7-6 and lost to Penn State in the Pinstripe Bowl this past season.
Swinney's archaic recruiting methods have been a big reason for the Tigers' descent into relative obscurity, and that has been on full display this offseason with Clemson consistently missing out on top recruits.
It happened again over the weekend, as five-star 2027 tight end Jaxon Dollar trimmed his list of potential schools from five to three, naming Georgia, Miami and Notre Dame as finalists, eliminating the Tigers in the process.
Jaxon Dollar. Credit: Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Clemson initially offered Dollar last summer and had him on campus for its Elite Retreat last month. While Dollar was clearly interested in the Tigers, they did not quite make the cut for the 6-foot-5, 222-pound weapon.
Dollar is the second-ranked tight end and the 22nd-ranked player overall in the class of 2027, via 247 Sports' composite rankings, so it's certainly a bummer that Clemson was not able to land him.
The Tigers also missed on fellow tight ends Grant Haviland and Tommy Douglas earlier in the recruiting cycle, as both prospects decided to commit to other programs.
Clemson has secured seven commitments for 2027, including a pair of four-stars in linebacker Bryce Kish and wide receiver Trey Wimbley.
But the days of the Tigers easily being able to lure five-star talents appear to be over. In fact, Clemson did not bag a single five-star recruit for its 2026 class.
The Tigers were one of the most disappointing teams in college football this past season, as they entered the year with national championship aspirations and fell flat. They also lost many of their best players to the NFL Draft this offseason.
We'll see how Swinney and Co. are able to bounce back next fall.
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