CLEMSON – Dabo Swinney insists his philosophy regarding the transfer portal has been twisted into something it’s not.

In two of the past three years, Clemson has brought in a backup quarterback via the portal, with one of those being Paul Tyson. He served as the Tigers’ emergency QB this season.

Last offseason, Clemson was the only Power-4 team to not bring in a transfer. The staff did try and recruit a handful of offensive linemen out of the portal late last year but failed to land one.

With the portal window opening next week, could now be the time Swinney finally attempts to fill any gaps on his roster through the portal?

“My mindset is always about what’s best for Clemson,” Swinney said on Sunday. “That’s the way it’s been for 16 years. And we do whatever that is.”

Over the past few years, the Tigers have lost far fewer players to the portal than most teams. That is one of the reasons why Swinney feels he hasn’t needed to use the portal. But again, if the situation warrants it, the longtime head coach is adamant about being open to using whatever tool is available for addressing any potential roster needs.

“If you check our roster and our talent, we’ve got a really good roster,” Swinney added. “And we’ve been second or third in retention. But we will use whatever tool we have.”

Swinney said the reluctance to lean on the portal centers more on the fact that he’s liked his roster over the past few years. Not because he has some moral objection.

“What’s best for Clemson? All that depends on who’s leaving, who’s back, who are your starters, and do you believe in those guys that you have,” Swinney said. “If not, then you’ve got to either have somebody that’s coming in that you like… like a (Bryant) Wesco or TJ Moore, that you think is elite. Or Ashton Hampton, that you want to spend the next few years with. Or Peter Woods or T.J. Parker, and you really know this guy is the guy. If you don’t have that, then you try to go get that.”

Starting next season, teams will be allowed to have 105 scholarship players on the roster, up from the previous 85. Due to the rule change, Swinney expects to see most coaches having to turn to the portal at some point. And that includes himself, despite what the popular narratives might say.

“I think everybody’s going to have to recruit the portal with it going to 105, and the way the system is set up,” Swinney said. We just haven’t had many guys leave our program that we haven’t had the starter here. (One) that we believe in. We just haven’t. Most of the kids that have left our program have been backups, and they just want to go somewhere and play.”

“I know there’s a lot of narratives out there that people love to make up and write whatever they want to write, hear what they want to hear,” Swinney said. “We’re going to do what’s best for Clemson. We always do that. But what’s best for Clemson is a reflection of what your roster looks like year in and year out. But I see very few programs that won’t have to sign some portal kids.”

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