ESPN College GameDay host Rece Davis got fired up while defending Dabo Swinney and his approach when it comes to building Clemson’s program.

In an episode of the College GameDay Podcast, Davis said he’s “sick to death” of people criticizing and questioning Swinney for his use of the transfer portal, or lack thereof.

“I’m rooting for the story of Clemson. I’m sick to death – sick to death of the Dabo blasphemy. I’ve had it,” Davis said. “You know what, the guy has won two national championships and played for two more. If he thinks it can work this way, why would we just automatically assume that because they’ve had a couple of, by Clemson standards, recent Clemson standards – by all-time Clemson standards, they haven’t had down years – by recent Clemson standards, they’ve had a couple of not as championship-caliber years. I’m rooting for that story. Not because I’m against the portal. The way Lane (Kiffin)’s doing it, go for it. No problem. No problem at all. Dabo’s trying to do it his way. Good for him. Go ahead. I hope Clemson is really, really good this year. Not rooting for the team – rooting for that story because of that.”

It’s been well-documented that Clemson is one of just four FBS football programs that didn’t bring in a transfer this offseason (Army, Navy and Air Force being the others).

Swinney has made it clear that he values the players who committed to Clemson, and he prides his program on developing its players and staying loyal to them instead of simply replacing them with a player from the portal.

Davis clarified that he doesn’t think Swinney shouldn’t use the portal at all, but rather, what has Davis irritated is the perception that “the game has passed him by and he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” like some people – including ESPN’s Paul Finebaum – have suggested.

“Let me point out something here, too. Now, because I’m defending Dabo and his approach, I do not think – and I do think sometimes he is predisposed to digging his heels in for the sake of digging his heels in. Should not do that,” Davis said. “I’m not saying they should never take a transfer. I’m not saying he shouldn’t look to the portal. In fact, I think he should. But I think this whole idea that the game has passed him by and he doesn’t know what he’s doing and all of this stuff – that’s what has gotten under my skin about it.

“Now, if he’s going to dig in and say, ‘Well, I’m going to develop that 218-pound tackle, I’m going to make him a 270-pound tackle over three years and I’m not taking All-American X from wherever that wants to come to Clemson’ – and I don’t think he’s doing that. I’m not talking about that. I’m not talking about stubbornly digging your heels in for the sake of doing it. I’m talking about feeling like ‘I’ve got to replace everybody, I can’t trust Hunter Renfrow because he was a zero-star and he weighed 135 pounds when he came on campus, I’ve got to go get an Ohio State transfer that didn’t play as much.’ That’s what I’m talking about. But it’ll be a pretty fascinating thing to watch for sure.”

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