Swinney won't compare star-powered D-line group to 'Power Rangers' yet

Dabo Swinney said he'd hear from Christian Wilkins if he compared this D-line to the 'Power Rangers' already.

Brandon Rink · Assoc. Editor / Staff Writer · Tuesday, May 13 2025

Dabo Swinney hit the media circuit at the ACC spring meetings on Monday, and one radio host said the Tigers' 2025 defensive line looked to be on the level of the vaunted 2018 Clemson D-line, dubbed the "Power Rangers."

Swinney hesitated to make that comparison easily, saying that he would hear from Christian Wilkins soon if he agreed.

That said, he is very hopeful for the group.

“I love our guys. We lost one D-lineman (Payton Page)...So they’re all back," Swinney told 1010 XL. "It’s a good group. Serious leaders. We’ve got good chemistry. We added a few good pieces as well to come in and help them out. It’s a really eager group of guys. T.J. Parker is coming off of a great year. Peter Woods is a unique football player. They’re really committed guys. They love Clemson. They love their teammates. They’re easy to coach. They love to play the game. I think that they’re a good group. We’re getting some guys that are healthy, we lost (DeMonte) Capehart during the middle part of the season last year. Stephiylan Green. Those guys are all back. Jahiem Lawson is a guy we’re excited about in his development. Cade Denhoff, both of those guys really grew.. We’ve got Will Heldt coming in, who was one of the best players in the Big Ten last year.

"It’s a good group. I think we’re strong in the middle. So that will give us a shot."

Swinney said winning the ACC and getting a taste of the College Football Playoff last year in the first round at Texas is serving the whole team well.

"I think that’s really fueled these guys going into the offseason because everybody has won a championship. We only lost six players…All these kids have that in their mind and I think that’s been a real positive," Swinney said.

Getting to meet-up with the ACC football coaches this week, including new opposing coach this season in UNC's Bill Belichick, Swinney went through the league one-by-one with plaudits and he sees a challenging road ahead for his Tigers.

“This league from top to bottom is really, really tough…The league is strong," Swinney said. "I think anybody could win it. We’ve got a good team coming back. We’ll have a chance. I think there’s a bunch of teams in our league that can compete for this league, and if you find a way to win it, it creates a lot of opportunity after that."