Clemson was the only non-service FBS program not to add a single player through the transfer portal this offseason. Dabo Swinney recently defended his team’s inactivity.
During an interview on the ACC Network’s ACC PM, Swinney said it wasn’t an intentional decision to forgo transfers.
“There was a couple of guys we looked at, but they got to love you, too,” Swinney said, via The State’s Chapel Fowler.
Swinney then provided an awkward spin on the recruiting cycle.
“Honestly, every player is technically a transfer,” he said. “We just signed a whole class of guys transferring from high school. So we like our guys. We like our starters.”
While he didn’t bolster the roster with external acquisitions, Swinney wanted credit for most of his players staying put during the spring transfer window.
“There’s a lot that goes into it, but when you got 127 players go through spring, and 125 are still on our roster post-portal. Maybe we should get like a trophy,” Swinney said.
The Tigers head coach also claimed that his program had college football’s highest graduation of any Power Five program in the last 20 years.
Clemson’s recruits “transferring from high school” include five-star wide receiver TJ Moore and linebacker Sammy Brown. Swinney’s program has the year’s No. 11-ranked incoming class, per 247Sports.
But critics will say Swinney has not adjusted to the times by attacking the transfer portal. He’ll instead rely on returning players such as quarterback Cade Klubnik, who threw 19 touchdown passes last season.
Clemson fell short of 10 victories for the first time since 2010 last season. Swinney didn’t shop from other schools to build his team back into a formidable title contender.