Dabo Swinney addresses Clemson's need along defensive line, potential portal additions

National Signing Day is always full of celebration, especially when you are able to recruit at the level Clemson has over the past few years. Dabo Swinney was able to put together a solid 2024 class, currently being ranked No. 14 per the On3 Industry Team Rankings. A position the Tigers went after was the defensive line, signing two interior guys and then two EDGE prospects.

Swinney was asked if Clemson could still be in the market for a defensive lineman, specifically in the NCAA transfer portal. He was quick to shoot down the idea, citing multiple different reasons. One of them being that there is not currently anybody out there they would view as an upgrade over current players on the roster.

Instead, taking guys from the high school ranks and attempting to develop them was the route Clemson went with.

“I don’t see a portal situation,” Swinney said. “That was a position we looked at. We evaluate every position on our roster, from a portal standpoint, and that was a position, with the guys that we have in-house, and what we’ve been able to see from those guys — it wasn’t a position where we wanted a portal guy. Because you’ve got a guy like Peter Woods that can play anywhere. Is there a guy that we think can come in a be better than that? We didn’t feel that. So, we focused on the high school kid.”

Now, Swinney went on to say Clemson would not completely close up shop. He noted how it’s only Dec. 20 and the portal is still currently open. There will also be a chance to evaluate any players who transfer following spring practice.

But if history tells us anything, Clemson will not be too active.

Swinney is a bit infamous for his view on the transfer portal, refusing to use it in years past. Clemson has sent out of few offers this cycle but nothing has truly come to fruition. Maybe his tune and ideology have changed but his actions have not yet backed it up yet.

“It’s not a lot of guys,” Swinney said on who Clemson has gone after in the portal. “You still have to be good enough, you still have to be the right fit. Academics. You still have to be an academic fit. Nobody talks about that. You got to be eligible. So, it waters it down.”