Former coach can see Clemson bounceback, but says Swinney's portal philosophy is not 'real business'

CBS Sports' Rick Neuheisel says Clemson showed some positive signs, but long-term, he believes Clemson will need to hit the transfer portal more.

Brandon Rink - Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer - Wednesday, September 04 2024

Former college football head coach and current CBS Sports analyst Rick Neuheisel says Clemson is the easiest fix within a group of prominent teams struggling early in the season.

Neuheisel was asked out of Florida, Florida State and Clemson, which one can be turned around the fastest?

"Clemson. Clemson has a defense that looked the part for much of the first half (versus Georgia)," Neuheisel said on the Dan Patrick Show. "They've got to find a way to get their wide receivers involved in the offense. Klubnik cannot average less than five yards per attempt. That's just not a sustainable way to do it, but they have the wherewithal to get things done."

Neuheisel was then asked if Dabo Swinney needs a major change in his transfer portal usage.

"It is a kind of get-off-my-lawn type of statement. It's an old-school, I'm not changing for the sake of changing," Neuheisel said of his view of Clemson's transfer portal philosophy to this point. "I get where he's coming from. We all wish that we can keep our guys for the length of their time in college, but it is irresponsible to not look out there and see what other teams are doing.

"Especially when Georgia has two touchdown catches from guys who transferred in. One from Vanderbilt and one from Miami...While you have this idea in your head that 'We're doing more than playing football games' and we want kids to get their degrees and graduate and feel like they've accomplished something over the course of their time at Clemson -- and that's certainly an ideal that we can all understand, it's just not real business when you're trying to win football games at the same time."