Steve Sarkisian praises Dabo Swinney’s stability just as Clemson stuns college football by going into transfer portal
The Earth must be spinning off its axis. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has accepted a transfer. The coach famous for building his entire roster through high school recruiting is finally welcoming a rare transfer — 6-foot-5 receiver Tristan Smith from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Smith had 76 catches for 934 yards and six touchdowns. […]
The Earth must be spinning off its axis. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has accepted a transfer.
The coach famous for building his entire roster through high school recruiting is finally welcoming a rare transfer — 6-foot-5 receiver Tristan Smith from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas.
Smith had 76 catches for 934 yards and six touchdowns. He is not eligible to join Clemson for the College Football Playoffs and cannot play against Texas on Saturday.
Smith announced his decision on Instagram. It’s believed he chose Clemson over Kentucky. Smith becomes the first skill position transfer player that Swinney has accepted as head coach of the Tigers.
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For the record, Swinney has taken two quarterback transfers before in Hunter Johnson and Paul Tyson. But while most schools plug holes or build out their rosters with transfers, Swinney refused.
“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,” Swinney said at ACC media day in July. “But if you study our team, our retention is as good anybody in the country. Guys graduate, they stay, and we recruit.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian spoke about Swinney’s program with admiration on Monday.
“I think Dabo knows who he is and knows what his program stands for and he stands on that,” Sarkisian said. “The players that choose to go to Clemson believe in that. And so when you when you do that, you don't have to vary too much.
“I think the programs that can get themselves in trouble, it’s one day you’re this, the next day you’re that. Clemson knows who they are, and they play to their strengths and that’s a byproduct of Dabo knows who he is. So ton of credit to him of getting their team into the playoffs and fighting through some of the adversity early on in the season and earning this opportunity.”
