During the 2023–24 college football season, elite programs rose to prominence and fell from grace. A team like Florida State was brought back to life in the ACC after years of dominating the league. The Clemson Tigers were the ACC leaders at the time. Although Clemson football has been regarded as one of the best programs for the last ten years, something appears to be changing. According to Grace Raynor at The Athletic, head coach Dabo Swinney is up against teams that have made NIL agreements and transfer portal targets their top priorities, transforming college football into a contemporary free-agent frenzy.
There’s no longer an option whether to use the transfer portal or not, there’s a need. That’s a need for all programs across the country to be able to lure in instant-impact players. It worked for a team like Florida State to get back on the map, but Swinney’s old-school habits have kept Clemson football behind. The Tigers finished the 2023 season with a 9-4 record, suffering a rare loss in Death Valley.
While Swinney and the Tigers have found success in the past with high school recruiting and player development from within, if Clemson football is to contend for a national championship, fresh leadership is required. Every offseason, elite programs nationwide, including Texas, Ole Miss, and Ohio State, use the transfer portal to restructure their rosters and prepare for the next national championship.
If Swinney is unable to embrace the new world of collegiate sports, Clemson football will likely remain out of the Top 25 rankings for the upcoming season. The transfer portal and NIL should work in their advantage with a prestigious program like Clemson. Swinney still has an opportunity to turn things around, even though this might be the last for the Tigers.
