Josh Pate On Dabo Swinney & The Transfer Portal (Late Kick Cut)

Dabo Swinney and Clemson have been very resistant to use the Transfer Portal even as the rest of College Football seems to have embraced it. On Late Kick Live Ep 513 Josh Pate reacted to Dabo's latest comments about the Portal at ACC spring meetings. Let us know what you think in the comments below and be sure to SUBSCRIBE to the channel and CLICK THE BELL for notifications as we bring you multiple live shows per week!
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[@LateKickwithJoshPate]

Keep the show free - SUBSCRIBE to the channel and LIKE the video! - JP

[@CarbonScoring]

Thanks, Josh- appreciate a well thought out opinion and not just a knee jerk reaction

[@aroncampos5720]

Clemson doesnt need better players they need better coaches. Team is still mostly 4 stars everywhere

[@younggoose7315]

How about both

[@JohnSmith-bq6nf]

Not on offensive line or wide receiver

[@zacharyscott6779]

​@@JohnSmith-bq6nfthey have 4 star guys at both positions but their WR has been killed by injuries last few years and o-line has had terrible coaching but Clemson getting Matt Luke I think is one of those key hires people look back on in a year or two. We will see!

[@someguy6212]

I was never a big Dabo fan before. Now I appreciate him for standing up for his values and beliefs.

[@tannerdodson7869]

His values and beliefs will get him fired in todays age of football if he keeps the downward trend he has going.

[@someguy6212]

@@tannerdodson7869 Possibly. I think he would rather be fired, than boot loyal kids off the team for better NIL replacements.

[@Dre384]

@@someguy6212then he need to step down and let someone else take over Clemson program do not care about his personal beliefs they want titles and wins

[@someguy6212]

@@Dre384 If he can't produce in the next 2 years he will probably have to step down.

[@nicholastaiariol2631]

His values are costing his team

[@Grafknar]

People might finally be getting it. Dabo is one of the last ones who are holding true to what the sport is supposed to be. And it means a lot on the recruiting trail.

[@greenwave819]

LMAO

[@Mike-sp7zv]

The transfer portal is part of recruiting.

[@NoHaBi02]

It's not. Highschool kids don't care what football is "supposed to be". Highschool my kids want money, fun, success and on rare occasions education.

[@younggoose7315]

So what’s his recruiting rankings then ?

[@jonathanpowell2990]

Clemson fan here. I sure wish we would use the portal to get three or four guys a year.

[@user-tk7md9nj1j]

His aversion to the TP is going to coach this team right into irrelevancy. You either get on board or get left behind.

[@timkinley1779]

I hear people constantly complaining about the portal ruining college football while others say use it religiously. You can't have it both ways.​@user-tk7md9nj1j

[@glennvanzandt3011]

He isn't stupid, he's just unbelievably stubborn. The game has and is passing him by.

[@prescottosegie]

Well said Josh I appreciate that coach Dabo sticking with his team i believe that they will remind everyone that they will be back in the college playoffs in the future

[@shawnnicholson6756]

Dabo is paid to build the most successful team he can, so he needs to use the portal for key needs. He doesnt have to be Colorado and take 50 transfers...

[@chrisgray2824]

stand on bidness Dabo..

[@frankcornelius1847]

Josh, do the research on how Dabo offers high school kids. He only offers certain types of kids. Approx 120 offers to fill his 25 slots. Many other schools offer 300 plus offers. It is just a different philosophy. Does he miss on some 5 stars? Sure but there are rarely busts and trouble makers and he has elite graduation rate

[@evanblythe2283]

FSU got Coleman from the transfer portal....we toppled Clemson in the ACC with most of our key players last year being transfers. Clemson has $...I respect him sticking with the guys he makes commits to, but the talent excuse is lame.

[@user-rg7sq5mh8z]

Clemson allocated $2.5 million to NIL last season A very low amount in today's game

[@nadeau]

Clemson controlled that game and found a way to blow it.

[@andrewscott310]

You toppled Clemson last year? Lol that's funny. You barely won in overtime

[@edl7454]

@@andrewscott310 It will be way more convincing this year.

[@andrewscott310]

@@edl7454 agreed. FSU will be eliminated without the need for overtime. No way DJ wins against Clemson

[@nickkyg]

I hope we start every season against him. Week one in Atlanta will be glorious.

[@Cambo_7]

Keep saying that bud ;)

[@nickkyg]

@@Cambo_7 not that I need permission from a team we own as a vacation property, but thanks.

[@Cambo_7]

Cool, but I think you will be surprised come Aug 31. Go tigers!

[@dragonsurge1]

Clemson can’t even recruit top 10 classes so how are they supposed to compete with the teams that do both???

[@blakelymartin8461]

Look back over the years, Clemson culture has never recruited in the top 10. There might have been one or two seasons right after the national championships but Clemson is very selective and picky about which players they pursue. There was only two teams that gave out fewer offers than Clemson and it was like Harvard and Yale.

[@NPC-yb3rw]

Top 4 right now champ.

[@dragonsurge1]

@@NPC-yb3rw congrats! But there’s still 7 months until signing day….

[@bubblesthemonkey6615]

Dabo can keep losing if he wants, fine by me.

[@NPC-yb3rw]

Keep losing? LOL. 30 wins and conference championship in the last three seasons. Make a list of teams that fit that criteria and you’ll discover it to be shorter than you think. GFTO

[@gabewall7381]

The run of success is over at Clemson. They struggled in the worst major conference in college football mightily last year, they will be getting slapped around again this year you can bet on it.

[@BlackMountainCycles]

@@NPC-yb3rw they started last year 4-4. And have lost 3+ games a season for the past 3 years.

[@Mike-sp7zv]

​@@NPC-yb3rwclearly the playoff committee doesn't value acc wins or acc conference championships

[@xdgaming70]

@@NPC-yb3rwYou tho k that statistic is gonna save him? Compare those 3 years vs 18-20. You people can clearly see there’s an issue

[@blakehundley2147]

Clemson Fan here! I would like to get 2 transfers to provide depth but if we don't then I trust what Dabo is going to do for the program. Josh he has offered several portal players, but he isn't going to offer kids a starting spot or they want hundreds of thousands of dollars.

[@balloonmekrazy2373]

Josh bro where u get your white t-shirts from? premium quality

[@blakeharrison3972]

Hearing his perspective makes more since so I see where he is coming from

[@BlackMountainCycles]

Where he’s coming from is going to send him to the unemployment line.

[@porschepal7932]

The lack of the portal isn't why Clemson has taken a step back. Hiring friends and family is. Thomas Austin ruined our entire offensive line group and Matt Luke has some cleaning up to do which could take a couple years. Tyler Grisham also probably needs to go but he has been recruiting quite well these past couple of years. CJ Spiller, remains to be seen.

[@timkinley1779]

He also fired some coaches that didn't do well enough. Don't forget about those, it disproves your statement.

[@porschepal7932]

@@timkinley1779 He literally just fired Thomas Austin and Brandon Streeter has been gone for 1 season. Tyler Grisham and CJ Spiller are still there. Garrett Riley runs a completely different offense which got better towards the end of the year.

[@timkinley1779]

Yep he fired them. That is the point. ​@porschepal7932

[@porschepal7932]

@@timkinley1779 Fired Brandon Streeter and Thomas Austin. Also parted ways with a long time friend that he's had for the past 35 years in Lemanski Hall. Then proceeded to hire the best offensive line coach in college football (former Georgia offensive line coach) Matt Luke and hired Chris Rumph from the Minnesota Vikings.

[@timkinley1779]

​@@porschepal7932Yep. I'm well aware of the coaching changes.

[@johnsarian_cu]

Blockbuster is not the best analogy. I'd pick Sears - the products and services are still the same, they just lost to the competition. Blockbuster's product/service was made obsolete.

[@lyndonyoung6756]

By the way the service academy schools don’t have nil either.

[@greenwave819]

once upon a time the forward pass was illegal. When it became legal some coaches stuck to their "principals" as for Jimmy H... he would be passing balls in from the sideline and paying the refs not to notice

[@echt114]

I just checked the recruting rankings. Clemson is currently (5-20-24) ranked 5th, so they seem to be doing OK. There are still very talented guys who decide to go there. Is it enough? Probably not for winning a title, but the Harbaugh comparison is interesting. I'm guessing Dabo is banking on roster stability and a strong culture. If they hit right on their evals, they'll probably be OK.

[@BeaterBusa]

If he knows what hes doing, then he knows hes driving clemson into a dumpster fire. Josh, youre celebrating a guy thats destroying a program. The blockbuster reference is perfect.

[@chrishaugh1655]

Claiming they aren't good enough to play at Clemson is laughable. Now yes, statistically the majority probably aren't, but there damn sure was a TON of 4-5 star talent that sat in the portal this year for weeks or even months because they had so many offers and didn't know where they were going to go.

[@rayontita1912]

I mean...Jim Harbaugh did overhaul things. He fired the old guys on his staff, and hired a bunch of young assistants while promoting others. Mike MacDonald, Sherrone Moore, Jesse Minter, etc. All those guys' hirings and promotions were a result of Jim Harbaugh changing the way he did things. Digging his heels in would have meant keeping Don Brown and never changing up that man oriented conservative defense that got torched repeatedly by Ohio State. Harbaugh also exploited the portal aggressively. Very very different cases.

[@doerdletfg]

The sport has changed and left him behind, like it or not. Dabo has had great success but also has developed a large ego which has prevented him from being willing to change. Clemson will give him a few more seasons before they force him to retire.

[@hugeblue]

This is why there is no better sports analyst!Great show Josh!

[@slash903]

Dabo sounds a lot like Jimbo did in his last few years at A&M. He had a lot of excuses for why he wasn't using the portal.

[@quintongarvin5756]

When you actually listen to the clip, he is 100% correct!! 1.) Most guys aren't good enough 2.) they go into the portal as a formality the deal is already done. 3.) They want as much money as possible, people don't realize Clemson isn't going to win an arms race.

[@NoHaBi02]

"we're not gonna win that battle so let's give up on it." Great coaching mentality right there.

[@quintongarvin5756]

@@NoHaBi02 Who's giving up?!?! They're just doing it a different way. Spending their NIL money to retain players rather than get them from the portal.....You can be successful doing things a different way. It's already happened at Clemson. Clemson was the first school to really push for multiple star wide outs, why because they couldn't out recruit Bama/UGA for star running backs, but they could get WRs and it worked. Until Bama and Ohio State started copying Clemson approach.

[@Taqley]

Standing by beliefs is great, but if you’re not using all available resources to you as a HC to improve your program, you’re not serious about winning.

[@utcnc7mm]

I think Dabo has a little pride and is stubborn headed, he doesn't want to do it with the portal so he doesn't. As Josh pointed out Blockbuster (just one of many examples in history), you probably should take note of that and believe me every other school is glad clemson doesn't use the portal (less competition). Adapt or be left behind.

[@beardcog1267]

There's only 3 coaches left in the sport that have a natty and he's one of em

[@doubleboy2388]

He's a goof Go Noles!!!

[@jasonbugs2877]

It's 2024. People get very offended by someone standing on morals. It confuses them. It will cost Clemson talent. But, to attack the only program not tampering and trying to buy a championship instead of all of the teams doing so shows exactly how immoral our society is.

[@stevenselleck5460]

I respect the man for standing on principle and respect him as a coach- he won in an extremely tough era of college football. However the transfer portal is just a tool that can improve your team. I'm a Michigan fan, we didn't build our team through the portal- we essentially just supplemented at key positions. There's a balance that can be achieved to not get caught up into the portal fest but also use it to improve your team

[@Mike-sp7zv]

How much did the steroids cost for each Clemson player? Sounds like somebody's morals were tampered unless that's the norm there

[@timkinley1779]

​@@Mike-sp7zvIt wasn't steroids. Keep trying.

[@timkinley1779]

​@@stevenselleck5460You can't make scholarships out of thin air. If Clemson isn't losing players to the portal, then there are no open scholarships. It's just basic math. Clemson had zero players enter the January portal.

[@Mike-sp7zv]

@@timkinley1779 what was it?

[@rodneyellis892]

Most people who have a problem with Clemson and the portal are not even Tiger fans. Why are they so bothered about it?

[@BlackMountainCycles]

No one is bothered. We’re just pointing out that a coach isn’t adapting with the times and that’s why a multiple CFP chip winning coach has lost 3+ games a season since 2020.

[@Mike-sp7zv]

I don't like Clemson, I criticize Dabo for his transfer portal takes, but I hope he continues to dig his heels in while passing up on the Keon Colemans and Justin fields who have beat Clemson

[@NoHaBi02]

I'm a Tigers fan and I have a major problem with it.

[@twolveslb43]

I totally agree with Dabo. Free agency ruined the NFL and the transfer portal will ruin college football if they don’t reform it. One thing you didn’t mention is how this looks to high school recruits. Where are high school recruits going to go, a team that constantly uses the portal or a team that is resistant to it?

[@tylermiller5836]

The problem is Dabo saying he can’t get the guys that are good enough to play at Clemson. Why can’t he? I doubt Clemson has a money issue.

[@josephgibson5001]

Clemson really doesn't have the same kind of money. But before we even get that, we started spring practice with 127 players. We ended with 125. And the 2 we lost were not starters. So, there is nobody to replace. He's also not going to run his players off to make room for more/new players (who may or may not be better) and pay a bunch of money we don't have.

[@wendellcooper3279]

Go get um Dabo

[@chrisnipper8573]

The Oklahoma Sooners had a great haul in the Portal, Deon Burkes WR had like 150 yards and 2 Touchdowns in the first half of the Sprig game, Demonic Williams the DT a Out if TCU and they lost most of their Offensive Lineman to the Draft or graduation, they were able to get several OL in the Portal, Dabo is stubborn and TOTALLY MISSING OUT OF THE NEW ERA OF FOOTBALL!

[@JDogg1971]

I’m sure the Captain of the Titanic was a good man. Went down with the ship.

[@timkinley1779]

There are way more programs failing miserable that are using the portal religiously. What about them? Evidently it isn't the cure.

[@umbreonix]

Dabo seems to prefer the old school, pre NIL way of doing things. I completely understand, but there are consequences that come with that

[@IntenseInvestor]

Currently NIL is unsustainable in its current state.

[@umbreonix]

@@IntenseInvestor for some programs, yes. Those with substantial financial backing will keep rolling. That being said, I do think some guidelines and restrictions should be in place.

[@Mike-sp7zv]

​@@IntenseInvestorit's fine as is. Trying to force schools to pay everyone millions on top of scholarships plus NIL will ruin smaller schools.

[@austinwhitehurst6919]

Love his principles, but pride is a downfall.

[@marlabilton]

Why is everyone making such a big deal about this? It's his show at Clemson and he's gonna do what he wants to do. Why can't you leave it at that? Quit being concerned about what Dabo's doing or not doing and concentrate on your own teams!

[@keving3982]

If the transfer portal didn't exist Alabama would of won the national championship the last 3 years. Roll tide!

[@999enlightened]

😂😂😂

[@rad608]

Gone are the days when coaches can stockpile talent. Like it or not, the kids have options today. As soon as players start leaving their programs, they'll change their view.

[@artvandelay913]

I'm not a Dabo fan at all but I can respect that he does things his way regardless of outside opinions. It will still be fun watching him lose 😂

[@ChickenBoneNews]

Go Georgia Bulldogs from Augusta Georgia 🏈🏈🏈

[@pierrerochon7271]

Hall and Oates said it best- Dabo- Your are out of Touch

[@Bask3tChase]

I’ve gotta ask myself, “how small is the world view of the people paying Dabo?”, if stuff like “there aren’t players good enough to join Clemson in the transfer portal.” can just fall out of his mouth and not be challenged at all.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

There are guys coming out of the transfer portal who make a play or two that hangs an "L" on Clemson this year.......

[@blakelymartin8461]

Rght now the transfer portal is the Wild West, will it change in the future, I don't know. I can't imagine it keep going the way that it is right now. Clemson is very tight-knit and their culture and their program, they only lost two kids and the transfer portal this year. If there are restrictions and regulations in the future. Which teams are going to be better off for it, the teams that sold out everything for one or two good years on top or the teams that kept their cohesiveness and culture intact.

[@dragonsurge1]

Clemson lost 12 players to the portal not 2. You’re 100% right that Clemson will be better off than teams like Colorado who use the portal to change the entire roster but why does it have to be one or the other?? Ohio state, Georgia and Alabama under Saban have consistently only brought in less than 10 transfers each season. They keep their rosters in tact while filling the gaps.

[@blakelymartin8461]

@@dragonsurge1 I was looking at this spring for the portal. you are absolutely right I don't think it has to be 100% one way or the other. I think he has been looking in the portal for certain situations but nothing has his fit his criteria

[@johnwoodburn]

Adapt of die. Wayne Huizenga sold Blockbuster at an opportune time.

[@BeaterBusa]

Dabo is mack brown with 1 extra natty

[@echt114]

Mack is 1-6 against Dabo.

[@Vayne207]

He’s wrong because he’s leaving out the other types of guys. Some guys are entering the portal because they’re not going to get play time where they’re at. Some guys are entering the portal because Nick Saban retired. Some guys are entering the portal because they’re having a hard time personally at the schools they’re at. There’s like 10 different types of dudes in the portal.

[@markwebster4996]

Harbs doubled down alright, he got that crazy vacuum salesman going 😂 He also fired the DC and asked his brother to fix it for him

[@954mrhollywood]

I can understand if he’s bringing in top 5 classes but he’s not. Clemson just satisfied winning 9-10 games.. that’s on them.

[@hitwonder101]

but he beat the Sec's daddy with those not top 5 classes....twice and one 44-16 Suck on that

[@patrickking133]

Dabo is on point if and only if, contracts and reason pervail in the near future. However, if it continues to spiral out of control for the next 20 years, then no he prob needs to bring in one or two smart additions a year. No "pro" sport can thrive with no contracts, unlimited negotiation, tampering, no salary cap, no loyalty, and zero conviction.

[@fitzgeraldanderson9047]

Dabo get paid 10 million a year. But he don't want tha players to get paid

[@The_Octopus]

The guys in the portal that are good enough to play for you are going to other schools, Dabo.

[@kennyfuqua2518]

I am glad that Josh is starting to figure out what Dabo is doing. As a Clemson Alum, I could give two craps what the talking heads and the haters have to say. Dabo has built Clemson's program on producing athletes that are winning on the field and off. Clemson's graduation rate is amazing and look it up if you think your program's is anywhere close. Dabo is playing the long game. He will continue to use NIL money to keep the kids on campus that he recruited and are producing on the field. I know for a fact that there were multiple players on our defense that were offered in excess of $1 million to switch schools. Those players stood by Dabo's vision and that says a lot. This year, 2024, the NIL will fall under the university's responsibilities and that is a good thing for Clemson and many other programs not named Ohio State, Georgia, Bama, Texas, and many other SEC teams. This will allow Clemson to be able to pay the players that need to be paid. The portal is terrible for college football. Kids flip flopping multiple times in their career and getting no closer to a degree. Not good. This is what others need to understand....Dabo and Clemson are going to do it their way. I am not saying that Clemson's way is better but it is the way things are going to be done. Dabo has built a program that stands on its culture. The young men that commit to come to Clemson know they will be well taken care of and Dabo will make sure they graduate with a degree. Yes, winning football games is important but at the end of the day Dabo needs to be able to look in the mirror and more importantly into a players' eyes and tell them he did everything he could to make them successful....on and off the football field.

[@dragonsurge1]

It’s not all or nothing! Dabo doesn’t have to use the portal like Colorado. Just use it as NECESSARY to fill the gaps. Ohio state only brought in 7 transfers this cycle but it’s one of the best transfer classes.

[@kennyfuqua2518]

@@dragonsurge1 You have to realize that Ohio State spent millions of dollars on those players. Dabo is not going to out bid anyone for a player. Clemson is a small school compared to OSU. The number of alumni is much smaller which means the amount of money in the NIL is also much less. Dabo is going to spend the money on players that are currently on campus before he uses that money to get a "hired" player. This all goes away when the direction of the NIL goes back under the responsibilities of the university instead of pumping money from donors directly. This is a huge ruling coming up in the next 6 to 7 months.

[@Rob-ik6gs]

Where you're wrong is we don't have to pay players... Why? Cause we aint like everybody else... its ok to do tings the right way. You sir... are whats wrong with cfb.

[@jamesmarshall6619]

I have no issue with what Dabo is doing but is it helping Clemson? We'll find out because we don't absolutely know. Dabo is not willing to adapt and when you're not willing to adapt you often get left behind which is not good for the long term health of the program. On the other side, there's no precedent in all of this so it's not inconceivable that Dabo could have success because we just don't know. Not the biggest fan of Dabo but he's a great coach, sometimes average to bad coaches can win one national championship but there isn't a bad or average head coach who won more than one. The one thing Clemson has always been good at with Dabo is player development and the last few years they are still doing a good job of development but they've fallen a bit and a program like Clemson, especially if you're not using the transfer portal, just a minor slip here or there can be the difference between a great program and an average program. Exciting to see though, I like to see people try different ways of doing things so I kind of appreciate Dabo trying this route.

[@bernardmayles6564]

Dabo is lucky they play in a weak ACC. You don't have to like the portal or NIL, but you do have to adapt

[@hitwonder101]

They beat bama... twice that weak ACC school 😅😅😅😅

[@BlackMountainCycles]

The Dabo defenders in here are ridiculously hilarious. “Good for him, he sticks to his morals.” Yeah, Right to the unemployment line. Dabo is cerebral? He’s so “cerebral” that he gave OSU immense amounts of bulletin board material for the playoff game in 2020. Very “cerebral” of him to rank OSU as the 11th best team, and get them nice and T’d up before having to play them. He just talks before he thinks, period. PS: Harbaugh did it the way he wanted. With on field cheating and level 1 recruiting violations lol

[@Al-Rudigor]

Dude Harbaugh went out and cheated. You aren't going to make us forget about that.

[@Rio_der_Reiser]

So it’s not worth it to take a player that might not be starter material when they first arrive, but could be great with some development? Is Dabo just admitting Clemson can’t develop players as well as other programs?

[@kpperry784]

Dabo owes you guys nothing. A principled man is a rare sight these days.

[@mcguire1262]

He owes the school who hired him the obligation to build the strongest team he possibly can and compete at the highest level but his ego is preventing that from happening

[@kpperry784]

@@mcguire1262 Well then they can fire him. He gave them 2 Championships.

[@xdgaming70]

@@kpperry784Cool. Les Miles brought one to LSU and he still got fired. Tell me why that is.

[@DMS-pq8]

Imagine an NFL coach refusing to sign free agents

[@knowthywalk8908]

I wish Clemson would win the National Championship and through that in the face of this disgusting money hungry culture.

[@NPC-yb3rw]

Dabo Swinney might be the only coach in the country that walks in a high school or living room and can say “I keep my promises.” And it says something- regarding all the cynics in the comments- that when you see honesty and integrity, you flip out. You can’t handle it, because how could a man maintain his soul in an industry full of liars and cheats? Well, there’s one. And he’s winner and has always defeated the odds. (And btw, this is the exact same issue that pushed Saban out. Saban would rather quit than kneel to NIL contract negotiations and the transfer nonsense.)

[@Mike-sp7zv]

Cheats? Who used steroids?

[@ForeverZ01]

His arrogance is unbelievable, he is dead wrong that most people in the portal couldn’t play for his team. He tanked last year IN THE ACC! The way he is doing things isn’t working and he won’t admit it.

[@ctclardy]

It will be interesting to compare Coach Prime's 2024 season with that of Dabo Swinney's. Coach Prime robbed the transfer portal and over 90% of his players are from it. I believe he is trying to build an instant championship team while Dabo is taking the slow methodical approach. The 2024 season should show us which approach is the winner.

[@Dre384]

Bro we already seen that approach not work last year Lmaooo what are you watching Fsu went in the portal and was a committe decision away from making the playoffs while Clemson did nothing 😂

[@andrewroof8042]

@@Dre384 Clemson still was competing just fine in games despite not taking portal guys. They lost games last year from self inflicted wounds, and 1 bad non block against FSU. Don't over reach

[@Dre384]

@@andrewroof8042 here we go with the excuses all this “they barely lost crap” well MAYBE if you got the necessary portal players you needed you wouldn’t had lost those “self inflicted” games his approach ain’t working bud and we have the facts to prove it

[@dragonsurge1]

Coach Prime would trade his entire roster with Clemson in a heart beat…. The guys transferring to Colorado are the guys not good enough to play at Clemson…and I say that as an OSU fan

[@ctclardy]

@@dragonsurge1 Coach Prime is relying on a bunch of self-entitled prima donnas who will look only after themselves and not be beholden to the team. Dabo has developed young men to become superior athletes and team players who work in unison and look after each other's backs.

[@LayKxD]

Yeah, I can relate to a Coach imploding as an LSU fan and this gives off Les Miles vibes. Les was not going to change his 'Run the ball up the middle, play defense' strategy, which is why we ran him off. Watching him not adapt and change ran him off despite him winning 1 natty and playing in another. Dabo is expecting that Clemson will remember his titles, but let me tell you, the game changes, and if you don't, you will be replaced. Despite common belief, Head coaches for the most part ARE replaceable. (except Nick Saban and maybe Kirby Smart)

[@jamesb0255]

You must not have heard what Brian Kelly said Just a few days ago 😂

[@LayKxD]

@@jamesb0255 I did. And I 100% disagree with him for the same reason I think Dabo is wrong. I will say that at least BK gets offense right, something Dabo can't claim to have. But 50% is still failing, and you need a defense

[@edl7454]

@@LayKxD Dabo is a clown, fortunately when things were clicking he had excellent coordinators. `They left and it is time for the elevator to drop.

[@thawkxing]

As a coach, the worst thing about winning a title is demonstrating to your fan base and administration that it’s possible to do so, and then establishing that as the standard. One of the things that made Saban great is that he saw the writing on the wall and shifted to a pass heavy offense when he saw the rule changes being made. And yes, no coach in indispensable! Look at Bill Belichick, 6 Super Bowls but got ran out of town after a few bad seasons. If Dabo has a few more bad years, the narrative will be that he had great coordinators and lucked out with 2 great quarterbacks, whether that’s completely true or not.

[@NPC-yb3rw]

You wish Les Miles was Dabo Swinney.

[@MajinBuusha]

Josh: 1) First part of what he said goes into to #2 and #3 2) He won't tamper, that's not who he is and doesn't believe in it 3) Clemson under Dabo will never use NIL to sell players to come to Clemson 4) His beliefs clearly are "if you wanna be here you would have come here, and we love who we have here" 5) I know it's just clips of the entire game 3 minute video, but he did say after the spring portal they still had 125 of 127 players still on the team, so they would only potentially need to use the program for 4th/5th/6th on the depth chart type players. 6) I am not saying he is right or wrong in his approach, but he is doing what he believes in for better or for worse, and I respect that

[@Dre384]

Unfortunately these programs do not care about your personal beliefs if you aren’t putting out results Saban is the greatest coach of all time and part of that is his ability to adapt something dabo has proven he is incapable of and it will only make him look worse in the long run

[@MarkyMark1221]

@@Dre384That part, heck soon enough they’re gonna be getting TV revenue straight up, and whether he likes it or not CFB doesn’t need Clemson to thrive

[@Dre384]

@@MarkyMark1221 right

[@spursc10]

NIL HAS leveled the playing field? Xavier Thomas, #3 recruit in 2018, who has already owned 3 cars since signing with Clemson, now has a brand new house. His dad, a super felon, fresh off prison and selling his power washing business to a Clemson booster, was able to buy this home. Gee how does that happen? According to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, Smith mentioned Clemson's recruiting methods to defendant Christian Dawkins and an undercover FBI agent. "That's why football is so successful, is if you do it and use resources at Clemson, like you can really keep everything tight," Smith said in the video. "It's a small college town," he later said. "You can come to a game one night, after the game, you see a dude out there in a nice looking suit, you like, 'wait a minute now.'"

[@jefferyparker4277]

Excuses. He is making excuses. So, UGA and Bama take portal kids. Are they not good enough to play at Clemson? Here is the absolute truth. Dabo was a champion boxer. His league changed to kick boxing. He refuses to kick. He refuses to use everything available to him to make his team better. That is fine . Stand by your conviction. Cool. All y'all Clemson fan can continue to love this guy. Guess what? You will never be champions again. Clemson can hover at the top of the second tier - be a play-off team with no real shot at the Natty with Dabo and his current position. To get back to the top, you are gonna have to successfully portal at a level similar to UGA's at the very least. You, Clemson fan, and Dabo, Clemson coach, can like it or not - that is reality.

[@roderickcooper9293]

Dabo’s BS contradicts his players that enter the portal. He recruited them, so Trever Etienne isn’t good enough to play at Clemson. This guys so stubborn he can’t see past his own BS. He shooting to sell some moral BS to everyone. Miss Me with that crap Dabo. 🧐🤷🏿‍♂️👌🏽

[@ericlofroos2405]

When I was listening to Dabo speak the one name I kept thinking about was Keon Coleman, FSU’s elite transfer receiver from last year. That was an obvious need Clemson had going into last season. Could you imagine how different FSU and Clemson’s season would have looked like last year had Coleman gone to Clemson instead of FSU? Their records could have easily been reversed. That’s the only problem I have with Dabo.

[@victorbernard1256]

Clemson should probably move on from Dabo

[@thebigdent]

Dabo ain’t lying. Clemson will be back on top once there are CBAs.

[@kevinprisant]

Better hope that comes sooner than later, because the game is passing him by. Declining every season.

[@thebigdent]

@@kevinprisant I don’t disagree

[@Mike-sp7zv]

CBAs?

[@thebigdent]

@@Mike-sp7zv Collective bargaining agreements

[@mikestewart3670]

He’s convicted as an idiot. Fine by me.

[@Between_the_numbers]

He will be fired soon

[@wario202]

Harbaugh stuck to his guns... he cheated in embarrassing fashion. Wow, what principles he has.

[@shaunclemtiger]

Clemson is not as good because of poor QB play

[@MrMadskillz407]

He can stick to his beliefs and morals and all that crap, but he will die on that hill. He's just one of those guys that does not believe the kids deserve to be compensated, but is okay with coaches and the universities being paid boats loads off of the labor of said kids. We all know there needs to be certain rules and guardrails put into place with the portal, but to completely turn your nose up at it is not conducive to winning in this new landscape.

[@echt114]

You really think Clemson isn't paying the recruited players they've got?

[@JohnSmith-bq6nf]

Time for Dabo to leave college football

[@JamesWatson-jg2dy]

I think this approach will pay off in the long run. You can definitely trust him to do what he believes is right

[@douglaspurcell7506]

I would say that last year was already all he proof we need to know that this won't work. it's not a coincidence that they had that drop off right as NIL goes through and they refuse to use the portal like everyone else.

[@user-iu5cp4nd3t]

Dabo - Like Jimbo - Got his national championship with a generational QB! End of discussion! Keep riding that fence Josh!

[@echt114]

TWO championships. TWO quarterbacks

[@MegaFrankgarcia]

So Dabo is saying that a 5th year senior, starter or back up WR from an Alabama, PSU or even Cincy or Toledo isn't good enough to play for Clemson? Clemson you have to drag your coach into the NIL/Transfer Portal age or your going to fall behind just due to attrition.

[@MrLigmenarxis]

Imagine where Clemson would've been if the ACC wasn't as bad last year. Imagine if Nick Saban kept to his ego and not embraced the spread offense. Doesn't matter if dabo is very competitive, if he's playing chess with checker pieces. Clemson fans better accept that a 7-5 season is expected. Because having no NIL program or not embracing the transfer portal won't take you far. 😂

[@dragonsurge1]

The ACC is still bad. Clemsons expected win total is 9.5 games.

[@Black_Caucus]

Clemson faithful fan since the early 2000s Bowden era, but Dabo refusing to use NIL or transfer portal because he thinks Jesus would yell at him is truly hurting his legacy. But even worse… he’s voluntarily handicapping a program that should be, and HAS historically been until a couple years ago, in the championship hunt absolutely EVERY single solitary season without a doubt. The problem isn't that he's refusing to use the portal, it's that he's refusing to lose it, and the teams that he's being beaten by are teams that *do* use the portal. If Clemson was still in the playoff hunt every year nobody would be talking about him not using the portal, but this philosophy is obviously not working and it's a coaches responsibility to either adapt or die. Ask Les Miles about that, Dabo. The game adapts and evolves whether we like it or not, and if you don't get with the times, the times will pass you by. Also, they really whiffed on Cam Ward as well, Clemson could have 100% been in play for him if Dabo weren't moronically attached to Klubnik for the last 2 years, who looks absolutely no better in spring practice than he did last year. Their best QB right now in terms of how everyone looked at the spring game at least is Trent Pearman. Things could totally change before August, but he better hopes they do.

[@wario202]

If Dabo really wants to take the moral high road then he needs to quit. To keep playing the game, but hate on the way it's played is nonsensical.

[@Iamjustavibe]

Dabo is a clown

[@echt114]

Were you OK with him in 2018?

[@Iamjustavibe]

@@echt114 🤡

[@zachcoggins9018]

Dabo has foot in mouth disease. His way got Clemson to the top, and it’s gonna be the program’s downfall (obviously not a complete downfall, but to 8-4 to 9-3, and winning the ACC every 2-3 years).

[@Lilviss]

Are you serious nothing he said is wrong? This guy just said it’s only 3 types of players in the portal and that is not true, those cases don’t fit all those young men. Dabo is arrogant and stubborn and eventually will bend or break. Kids that come from high school are graduates not transfers Dabo. You can tell he think he is the smartest guy in the room when there is no need to be because everyone the room is smart. The poor little Clemson routine will be his next angle again. Josh you mentioned Harbaug 😳, the guy that was cheating and now has possibly wrecked the near future of his program when sanctions come out .

[@roderickcooper9293]

And not to mention he just told every kid that decides to enter the portal you’re not good enough for Clemson. Someone please tell me how this helps him at all portal or not. Oh well I almost forgot I really don’t give a dam what he does at Clemson and Go NOLES 🍢🍢🍢🤦🏿‍♂️🤦🏿‍♂️🤷🏿‍♂️🧐