Dabo Swinney Explains Why Clemson Took Zero Players In The Transfer Portal

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Using the transfer portal is an integral part of competing for national championships in modern college football.

That is, unless you’re Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney.

The Tigers took in zero transfers during the 2024 portal window, and now we know why.

“It wasn’t really necessarily an intentional thing,” Swinney said at the ACC Spring Meetings. “There was a couple guys we looked at. But they’ve got to love you too.

“Honestly, every player is technically a transfer. We just signed a whole class of guys transferring from high school. So we like our guys. We like our starters. We look at every position and say ‘okay, Coach Reed, you’re gonna get two corners. Do you want a transfer?’ ‘No sir. I like my guys.'”

Swinney is an immensely successful head coach. He’s a two-time national champion and helped turn Clemson into a powerhouse program.

But the Tigers have lost 10 games over the last three seasons and seemingly fallen from the ranks for the elite.

Despite that, Swinney has remained vehemently opposed to using the transfer portal to restock the cupboards.

“If we’re having to use it to help build our roster, that means we’ve missed on kids and we’re no longer signing the best of the best out there,” he said previously. “I don’t see that coming. We’ll have to use it, but only to fill a gap. There’s nobody on the planet that won’t have to use it. Just like this year, we’re down one in the offensive line and we need to find a guy, so we’re actively looking for an offensive lineman between now and May to get him in here for summer school. But we’re not just going to take a guy to take a guy because we think he’s a good player.”

How’s that working out for you, Dabo?