Evaluating how much losing Brent Venables impacted Clemson, Dabo Swinney

There’s no denying that Clemson has taken a step back as a program in recent years. After reaching the College Football Playoff for six consecutive seasons from 2015-2020, the Tigers have gone three straight years without reaching the CFP.

Grace Raynor of The Athletic recently joined On3’s Andy Staples to discuss Clemson’s recent downward trajectory and what role former defensive coordinator Brent Venables leaving to take the head coaching job at Oklahoma played in the Tigers program taking a step back.

“I thought when Venables left that he was the most important and critical hire that Dabo had ever made,” Raynor said. “I mean, just completely transformed that unit that had given up 70 points in the Orange Bowl. It just looked like a totally different unit.”

Brent Venables came to Clemson ahead of the 2012 season and spent 10 years working under Dabo Swinney.

Clemson ranked No. 71 in total defense the year before Venables arrived. In his six seasons there, the Tigers finished No. 64, No. 24, No. 1, No. 10, No. 8, No. 4, No. 5, No. 6, No. 15 and No. 8.

Raynor added that Venables was also someone who had a voice Swinney would listen to about important topics in college football.

“I think, too, the thing about Venables is, he had some experience elsewhere,” Raynor said. “You talk to people around the program, and he’s a guy who was also going to be able to push back on Dabo a little bit and say, ‘Hey, maybe we modify this portal [strategy] a little bit.’ You see how he’s attacked that at Oklahoma. And just his mindset, I think, was so crucial.”

With that said, as Raynor pointed out, Clemson’s defense has remained a strength under new defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin.

In his two seasons in charge, Clemson has finished No. 28 and No. 8 nationally in total defense. Swinney took a risk with his hire of Goodwin to replace Brent Venables, but so far, it has paid off.

“I will say, their defense has been very good under Wes Goodwin. I think they were No. 8 this year,” Raynor said. “So the product on the field has still been very good, but that’s just a veteran voice in the room that you’re losing.”

There’s optimism around the Clemson program that the defense can take another step forward in 2024 and be truly elite. Clemson returns three freshmen All-American from the 2023 roster in Peter Woods, TJ Parker and Khalil Barnes. Perhaps that trio can help in leading Clemson back to the College Football Playoff, even with Venables no longer with the program.