National analyst says transfer portal keeps Clemson from ACC dominance

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney's program has offered transfers, which often doesn't appear in national narratives, but they haven't sealed the deal on additions.

by TigerNet Staff - Aug 14, 2024, 10:39 AM

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has gone on the record and said that most transfer portal entries are just not better than the players currently on the Tigers' roster.

That hasn't stopped the staff from going out with some selective offers in the transfer portal, but Clemson has yet to add a traditional portal addition, which grouped the Tigers with the military service academies as the only FBS teams to not make a portal addition over the offseason.

CBS Sports analyst Danny Kanell says the lack of portal use is holding the program back.

"What happened is Dabo’s stubbornness is keeping them from regaining their dominance in the ACC and potentially even college football," Kanell said. "He just will not even look at the transfer portal. Now I know he said, and he’s got his excuses, ‘No one’s better than our guys,’ and I appreciate the mentality, right? He is trying to build up his team and the loyalty of the players that get recruited by Clemson and stick around at Clemson and finish their careers at Clemson, which I appreciate. That is an antiquated view. What Dabo is trying to do essentially is an NFL team winning through the draft and refusing to look at free agency. You can’t tell me that a Cade Klubnik wouldn’t have benefited from a Keon Coleman last year, who ended up at Florida State and was really good for them…"

Kanell says that transfer additions will be needed in an increasingly longer season for Playoff contenders.

"He’s right that their talent is elite," Kanell said. "He’s got really good recruiting classes. He still stacks those up. But where I think it comes to haunt them are two things: one, at select positions where maybe you missed on a 5-star, and he doesn’t live up to the potential. So then you have a weakness on your roster. I thought receiver has been one. They’re hoping Bryant Wesco is the guy that steps up, and maybe he does. But it’s also depth. And with the season expanding, with getting to the playoffs, and having more games, you’re going to get attrition where all of a sudden, you could be going from a transfer guy who’s a fifth-year grad transfer with experience potentially stepping in if somebody gets hurt. Or if he gets hurt, you still have a guy that’s younger but maybe doesn’t have to play as much."

There is more than one way to use the portal, as well.

"I just think there’s so many different reasons why Dabo should be doing it, and the fact that he’s not is keeping Clemson from achieving their full potential, because this is a fanbase that is as invested as anybody," Kanell said. "They would throw money at NIL. They could compete with anybody, and Dabo’s like, ‘no.’ And he doesn’t have to become like Deion (Sanders) and get 45 transfers a year. But look at Ohio State, they had one of the smaller classes, because they recruit really well too, but they go out and get Caleb Downs to add to a secondary that’s been dicey, they get Quinshon Judkins – they didn’t need him, but man, that backfield looks incredible now…They got a select group to help them fill voids, and that’s what Clemson is not doing, and that’s what’s hurting them."

Kanell says that the Clemson program may go through some adversity on the road to some change in philosophy.

"I think Dabo looks at the portal like I did ten years ago," Kanell said. "Where you looked at them as not great teammates, quitters, and I felt that way ten years ago…It has changed. The mindset of the players, you have to approach it that it doesn’t say anything about the players’ mentality. It says that they’re taking advantage of a system to potentially get as much earning capacity as they can, and I think that rubs a lot of coaches the wrong way. Dabo has drawn this line in the sand…I think he changes eventually, but I think it could be a little painful in the process."

(H/T On3)