RJ Mickens on Dabo Swinney's transfer portal approach: 'I truly respect him for that'

A lot has been made about Dabo Swinney and his unique approach to the transfer portal. The Clemson head coach isn’t necessarily against adding transfers, but every key contributor on the Clemson roster signed with the Tigers out of high school.

One of those key contributors is safety RJ Mickens, who attended the ACC Kickoff Event ahead of the 2024 season. Mickens was asked for his thoughts on Swinney’s approach to the transfer portal and revealed that he loves it.

“I truly respect him for that. It’s really respectable just knowing that he has full confidence in the guys that are in the locker room and in the guys that he recruits,” RJ Mickens said. “I mean that’s all it comes down to is trusting.”

Swinney pointed out that Clemson added transfers two of the past three years and tried to add one this offseason, too. However, the two transfers for 2022 and 2023 were both backup quarterbacks. The Tigers did try to add an offensive lineman from the portal this offseason, but they were turned down.

Mickens pointed out that not many players transfer out of Clemson, so there aren’t a lot of opportunities to turn to the portal.

“Not a lot of people leave our program, so when a lot of people leave, then you have to bring people in and so forth,” he said. “But him just really trusting and believing in the next guy up that we’ve got. If something happens, he’s not just going to bring somebody in. He’s going to wait and give somebody a chance that’s been there and not been able to play. So that’s really respectable of him.”

Swinney has gained the reputation of being a head coach who is not willing to evolve with the changing times, sparingly using the transfer portal in what now seems to be an essential part of recruiting in sports.

At ACC Media Days on Thursday he addressed his transfer portal use, or lack thereof. Swinney explained why the Tigers have not needed to resort to the transfer portal given their high school recruitment and development of players.

“I’m not anti-portal, I’m pro the young men, talented young men, that I believe in on our team that believe in me, that believe in Clemson,” Swinney said. “If you look at the guys that have left Clemson, the great majority of them, they just want to go play and that’s the majority of guys that are in the portal. They’re guys that want to play.

“We’ve had 14 Top 15 recruiting classes in a row, so we’re very consistent. We sign the great players, this year we think we’ve got one of the best classes in the country and that’ll probably prove out. It’s always shows up four years later when it really counts, but we love the kids on our team, we believe in him.”