ESPN analyst pushes back on Clemson portal narrative

ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill says he agrees with Dabo Swinney that tampering is the sport's biggest issue currently.

by Grayson Mann - Correspondent - Sep 12, 2024, 3:27 PM

The Clemson roster walked into the locker room in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, beaten up and defeated. A 34-3 loss would sting for anyone, leaving more questions than answers to those on the outside.

Looking around, Cade Klubnik told his teammates there would be an energy like no other when his cleats hit the practice field. All he asked of them was some trust. For this Clemson team, they’ve been through more than a fair share of disappointment.

Conversely, this unit has been on the other side, coming together in jubilation over big wins. So, their faith wasn't shaken when their quarterback asked for some trust that results would improve.

That belief was enough for Tristan Leigh and many others to profess their added confidence in this team even after watching the film.

In the age of the transfer portal, that kind of trust amid hardship is difficult to come by. The conversation surrounding Clemson and the portal will always be contentious, no matter what Dabo Swinney and the program achieve.

What the Tigers can control and have done is ensure that continuity continues to be this roster’s greatest asset.

The belief in the room stemmed from the relationships that have been formed over the years, relationships that can’t be as quickly formed within the portal's shopping spree.

This point came up on the Clemson and App State broadcast, with ACC Network broadcast and ESPN college football and recruiting analyst Tom Luginbill giving Swinney some slack on his portal usage.

He also appeared on the Orange Crush Podcast to make those same points. He emphasized that Clemson’s foundation is strong enough to overcome certain moments.

“I like to use the phrase hired mercenaries, which when you're going out and you're buying players, that's what they are,” Luginbill said. “The downside to that, and we may be seeing this right now with Florida State, is if things don't go well, what is that player's loyalty and devotion to the program and the locker room? It's zero. That's not why he went there. He went there probably for the money, right? In fairness, that's not everybody, but it's a vast majority of what's happening in the portal. And so when you don't have those pieces that have come in from the outside that were not a fundamental fixture of your foundation from the moment they enrolled, I can see how there can be fracturing if things don't go well.”

In addition, Luginbill touched on an issue within the portal's scope and pointed out that some of the players left may simply not be talented enough to contribute.

“The thing about the portal as it relates to Clemson, and I agree with Dabo Swinney that tampering is the biggest problem in college football right now,” Luginbill said. “Nobody wants to talk about it, but that's the problem. So if a great guy that goes into the portal could help you and you're interested in him unless you're going to be willing to tamper, you ain't getting that guy. The deal's done; it's signed, sealed, and delivered. What gets left over in the portal is where Dabo gets criticized, but he's not wrong. And that is the vast majority, if not all of the players that were remaining are not better than what Clemson's playing with. So why run the risk of maybe bringing in a bad element, an attitude situation, a character situation?”

As long as the portal continues to dominate college football, headlines will read about Clemson’s use of that tool.

Plenty of examples present both positive and negative features of the speed-dating world of collegiate athletics.

For the Tigers, they seem to like the guys they have in that room right now.

It easily could have fallen apart after a crushing opener. Those within the room stressed in August about the team’s closeness. Certainly, a result like Georgia’s can put bonds to the test. Afterward, the Tigers passed the immediate exam with flying colors.

As the tests only continue to get more challenging heading into conference play, that continuity will play an influential role in testing that foundation. Only time will tell.