Dabo Swinney finally ventures into transfer portal business on eve of College Football Playoff
The Clemson Tigers brought quarterbacks Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson in via the transfer portal in 2022 and 2023 but have failed to add a single player outside of the two passers who busted. On Monday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney added a first to his resume, which is landing a non-quarterback in the transfer […]
The Clemson Tigers brought quarterbacks Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson in via the transfer portal in 2022 and 2023 but have failed to add a single player outside of the two passers who busted. On Monday, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney added a first to his resume, which is landing a non-quarterback in the transfer portal.
Tristan Smith of the Southeast Missouri State RedHawks opted for Clemson over Kentucky. The junior receiver tallied 76 receptions for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2024. The 6-foot-5, 205-pounder has one year of eligibility left.
Swinney finally embraced the transfer portal, which comes at a good time.
Swinney has been notoriously combative in the past when it comes to the transfer portal, boasting about his program's loyalty to homegrown talent. Meanwhile, the Tigers have become an afterthought in the national title race.
"I’m just for the guys that we have," Swinney said during ACC media days in July.
"If I took a job somewhere else, I’d be the greatest portal recruiter ever because half of my roster would be gone and I’d have to put it together," he added. "But if you study our team, our retention is as good anybody in the country. Guys graduate, they stay, and we recruit."
Clemson's 15th-ranked 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes will need to bear out for the Tigers to reach their previous peaks. Despite hovering around these rankings over the last few years, Clemson lacked the high-end prospects who carried the program to titles. It doesn't seem as though the program has the NIL structure to swing with the big boys, but that could change.
Will more transfer portal additions be coming? Clemson could use more impactful guys. Smith is intriguing with his size and production, but it's a long-shot he'll be a revelatory presence.