In recent months, Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers have been heavily criticized by the media for not utilizing the transfer portal. However, here's why Dabo elected not to bring in any transfers in the 2024 recruiting cycle and how they will overcome this criticism when the season kicks off.
According to USA Today, "Clemson joined Army, Navy, and Air Force as the four Bowl Subdivision programs to not land a transfer in the 2024 cycle. The problem is the three service academies don't take transfers. The Tigers can."
Unlike past recruiting cycles, the Tigers attempted to bring in a transfer offensive lineman, heavily pursuing four of them, but all four chose different programs.
When asked about his decision not to bring in a transfer this offseason, Swinney's response went viral.
"Well, it wasn't really necessarily like an intentional thing," Swinney said. "There were a couple guys we looked at. They gotta love you, too. … And honestly, every player is technically a transfer. We just signed a whole class of guys transferring from high school, so we like our guys."
The Tigers brought in an excellent high school recruiting class, ranked 11th in the country according to 247Sports. However, there is a significant difference between high school recruits and players in the transfer portal.
The benefit of bringing in transfer portal players is that they have proven they can handle the rigor of a college football schedule, which includes early morning workouts, countless hours studying film, and college practices, all while getting their education.
High school recruits are more of a risk. They often need to put on size and muscle and are usually too underdeveloped to contribute on the field immediately. They also have not yet proven they can balance the schedule of a college student-athlete.
Despite the criticism, the Tigers are primed for an excellent season when they kick off against Georgia in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Aug. 31.
As previously mentioned, the Tigers are bringing in the 11th-best recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports. Clemson is also returning eight of their 11 starters on offense and eight of their 11 starters on defense.
With a more experienced quarterback in Cade Klubnik and a revamped offensive line under new offensive line coach Matt Luke, the Tigers look ready to take the next step toward being a dominant offense once again.
Boasting the preseason 9th-ranked defensive line in the country, according to PFF, and a solid secondary, Clemson's defense also appears ready to give offenses trouble in 2024.
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