Dabo Swinney on transfer portal: We had 109 guys in spring, 109 guys are still here

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has built the Tigers into one of college football’s premiere programs in the past decade. One of the most overlooked part of their program is the fact that the team has an incredible graduation rate and a strong focus on academics. With players across the college football landscape the past few years jumping from place to place via the transfer portal, it can be near impossible for coaches to maintain consistency within their roster from year-to-year. Recently at the 2022 ACC Football Kickoff on the ACC Network, Swinney talked about his thoughts on the transfer portal and the unwavering loyalty within the Clemson program.

“I think the greatest asset you have and what’s most important is your players. I’ve always told our coaches, and I hold our coaches accountable for–that’s why we don’t offer many guys because we’re not a catch-and-release type program. We’re a ’til graduation do we part program. It’s not me just saying that. 11 out of 12 years top 12 academically, Clemson, Duke, and Northwestern, 98% graduation rate. Been doing this a long time, and that’s the main thing in our program,” Swinney said.

“We recruit young people that value education that align with the things that we offer. Then we talk about serving their heart, not their talent. It’s a relationship-driven place. It’s always been that way. From time to time it’s the right thing for some guys to move on. Whether they’re a graduate and maybe they just want more opportunity to play or whatever, but if we do a good job loving our players, serving our players, making sure they have a good experience, making sure that they understand the big picture of development and growth and the long-term value of what we offer, they’re going to stay,” the Clemson head coach said.

The Tigers’ head coach then dropped yet another impressive statistic:

“I think this team exemplifies that more than anything. We had 109 guys go through spring. 109 guys are still here. Not one person left. There are only four of the Power 65 teams that didn’t have somebody leave after spring. That says a lot about what our players think about our coaches but more importantly what they think of their experience and the love of Clemson and their culture and each other. When you have guys even — you got a defensive end position, I mean, we got four D ends that can start for anybody in the country, and they’re all seniors. Myles [Murphy] is a junior but might as well be a senior. You have to have a certain level of selflessness and self-awareness. That’s not easy to have in today’s world. It’s all about me type of stuff,” Swinney said.

“That’s a credit to the character of our team the leadership of our team, the culture of our locker room, the accountability and their love for each other,” the Tigers head man said.

Swinney then mentioned the only player Clemson decided to bring in from the portal — a player that originally began his career with them.

“We brought one guy in from the portal. I call him a boomerang portal in Hunter Johnson. He started with us, and he is coming back to be a third team quarterback for us and finish up his career at Clemson,” Swinney said.

The Clemson Tigers kickoff their 2022 season against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. That game will be played on Monday, Sept. 5 at 8:00 p.m. EST in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The game between the two teams is labeled the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.