One minute Dabo Swinney was walking down the streets of Italy, and then a few minutes later he was in Dubai.

“I don’t know how I got there… What a bizarre thing that is,” Swinney said. “I went to Dubai.”

The odd thing about it is Clemson’s head football coach visited both behind his desk in the WestZone of Memorial Stadium. Swinney was using Periscope, one of the new social media apps, for the first time.

Periscope, which is still new to the social media world, allows people who are in a certain city or place to show their followers what is happening in real time, while also communicating with them. This new social media is another adventure for college coaches to get used to in the ever changing world of recruiting.

“It has just changed drastically over the last six or seven years,” Swinney said.

First texting, then Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and now Periscope have forced college coaches to change the way they handle things when it comes to filling their class needs as well as understanding how easy it is for recruits to talk to one another and pass information along.

“It has changed everything. These guys all know each other. You used to have to go somewhere to meet somebody. Now they all meet online and at all these different camps and things like that,” Swinney said. “There are no secrets anymore. Everybody knows Clemson is going to sign three wideouts, everybody. It is just a different deal.”

Swinney said January used to be a stressful time for the coaching staff because they might only have two scholarships available for a certain position, but they would have to host as many as six guys because they just didn’t know what a recruit was thinking or where else he might go. Now that information is all out there. The player knows how many scholarships Clemson has left to fill, and the schools have a better idea if certain kids are truly interested.

The best example of that took place with the signing of Kansas defensive back Isaiah Simmons. Clemson was late to the party in Simmons’ case because of the attrition that hit at defensive back with the losses of juniors Mackensie Alexander, Jayron Kearse, T.J. Green, Travis Blanks, and then Jefferie Gibson’s transfer. But despite having just three weeks to fill what was now a major need, the Tigers were able to ink Simmons, stealing him away from Michigan, Nebraska, Louisville and Missouri.

Clemson also landed the No. 2 corner in the country in Trayvon Mullen out of Florida and then K’Von Wallace out of Virginia. All three inked with Clemson on Wednesday.

Mullen surprised a lot of people with his selection of Clemson over the likes of Florida State and LSU, while Wallace went from being a one-time Cincinnati commitment to flipping to Clemson once the Tigers showed interest. Clemson beat out Ohio State, Michigan State and Pittsburgh for his services.

“You did not know. You might have two scholarships for wideouts and you might bring six in on official visit weekends. Now you have four that want to come. It was just a more stressful situation back in those days,” Swinney said. “You really did not know until signing day (what was going to happen), but what has happened with the internet, social media and all the information. First off, there is no long distance anymore. Everybody can travel to every place without leaving their room. They can go and visit anywhere they want to go.

“I’m just learning about this Periscope thing. I mean I went to Italy the other day with somebody. So there is no long distance. I did not even have to go anywhere.”

Swinney admits some of the new stuff is good, but there are some bad things that come with it, too. That’s why he believes there should be an early signing period. Football is the only intercollegiate sport that does not have one.

“I have laid that out many times and have addressed all the issues and the concerns that anybody can have with that. But for whatever reason we do not want to do that,” he said. “That’s why there will always be stories like we have seen. That is the bad part of the business.

“The good thing is if you are getting the right guys it allows you to do a really good job of getting ahead in the next class. We have several commitments already for 2017 and the reason for that is because the majority of work on this 2016 class has been done.”

With all the social media and information that is in cyberspace, Swinney says he likes to make sure Clemson is staying true to itself.

“I’m always trying to pump the breaks on that because guys like it here and we are going to sign a great class each and every year. We try, especially early on, let’s make sure we are getting our No. 1 draft pick, if you will.”

Even if that means Swinney and Clemson are traveling to Dubai to get him.

If you haven’t already order your copy today of Guts & Glory – Tales of Clemson’s Historic 2015 Football Season to help you celebrate and remember this special season.