Head coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers are used to building their roster a certain way, which doesn’t always include the transfer portal. Now, that doesn’t mean that Swinney is against the transfer portal.
Dabo Swinney Explains Why Clemson Stays Selective With the Transfer Portal
Swinney spoke to the media at the ACC Spring Meetings about his team’s strategy of roster building.
“We’ve signed five guys in five years…We’re not against the portal. we’ll use it when we need it.”
Swinney was simply trying to explain the fact that when his team has a need at a position and the recruiting window is over, the transfer portal is a tool that can help the team.
However, the Tigers are used to recruiting high school players and molding them into the best version of themselves. Swinney did mention Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson as names that he was able to acquire in the portal.
How Has Clemson’s Strategy Helped Them?
The Tigers have been one of the best teams in college football during Swinney’s tenure as head coach.
Since taking over in the 2008 season, Swinney has guided Clemson to multiple national titles and nine ACC titles. The former AP Coach of the Year has greatly impacted the sport of college football, and his recruiting strategy is a big part of that.
In 13 of the last 14 years, Swinney has guided the Tigers to at least 10 wins. That is something that does not happen all of the time.
If fans want to dispute the way that the 55-year-old operates his team, they need to understand the record and trophy case that Swinney owns.
Plenty of coaches like to utilize the transfer portal because it allows them to acquire veteran talent and players who know how to play well at the college level. But it takes a really special coach to mold and develop young players throughout their college careers without the help of recently acquired veterans.
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That is what Swinney is as a head coach, and everyone needs to understand that.
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