It’s a tiresome trope, but Clemson football’s head coach, Dabo Swinney, has caught so much hate for his approach to the transfer portal, including from yours truly. But who says you need a big portal class to win the offseason? Because in the ACC, that’s exactly what the Tigers did, according to ESPN.
The sports media giant wrote an article ranking the offseason of every Power Four team by conference, and finally, the top 10 teams overall. Clemson came in at No. 1 in the ACC and No. 5 overall.
Clemson wins the Offseason
The bulk of the authors’ analysis centered around the retention of key players, the retention of coaches/upgrades, and the quality of incoming players. Clemson’s move from Wes Goodwin to Penn State’s Tom Allen was one plus for the Tigers.
With Goodwin in 2024, Clemson ranked no. 69 in total defense, giving up 374.1 yards a game. However, Allen led the Nittany Lions to a No. 7 finish, giving up 294.8 yards per game, to a No. 8 finish in points allowed, and to a semifinal appearance in the College Football Playoffs.
Clemson lost a few key pieces like a 1,000-yard running back in Phil Mafah, its best tight end Jake Briningstool, and a big-time talent at linebacker in Barrett Carter. But the Tigers retained more than anyone else in the country, including key players on the defensive line, wide receiver, and, of course, quarterback.
It’s also the first time that Swinney dipped his toes into the transfer portal pool, bringing in one of the best EDGE players available, Will Heldt from Wake Forest, and then brought in two more, including a former top-50 high school prospect in Jeremiah Alexander from Alabama.
Staff writer Bill Connelly had this to say about Clemson’s offseason:
The Tigers lead the nation in returning production and potentially made an upgrade at defensive coordinator. That’s a pretty good…
Source link : https://clemsonwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/clemson/football/2025/05/13/how-clemson-fares-in-espns-offseason-rankings/83605931007/
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Publish date : 2025-05-13 20:43:00
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