CLEMSON – Wednesday is a big day, as always for Clemson Football, as the Tigers are expected to sign a nationally ranked recruiting class.

National Signing Day is a big day, which is part of the reason why there have not been any changes to the coaching staff. However, as The Clemson Insider reported on Monday, we still expect there to be changes to the coaching staff this season.

In the past Swinney has waited until after the bowl game to make some coaching changes. He considers bowl games to still be part of the season. Remember he did not say goodbye to Billy Napier until after the Tigers lost to South Florida in the bowl games. He did the same the following year with Kevin Steele after the Orange Bowl, and then again with Brandon Streeter in 2022 following another Orange Bowl loss and Wes Goodwin last year after the College Football Playoff loss to Texas.

The lone exception was offensive line coach Thomas Austin, who Swinney parted ways with prior to the Gator Bowl in 2023 and brought in Matt Luke.

Clemson (7-5) will learn its bowl assignment, plus who it will play in the postseason this Sunday.  

As we reported, Swinney met with his team and coaches and has begun individual meetings with his players. You probably know by now that linebacker Dee Crayton has decided he will leave the Clemson team to enter the transfer portal on Jan. 2, when it officially opens.

Crayton joins former safety Shelton Lewis, who left the team prior to the North Carolina game in October.

TCI has learned that several more players are expected to join Crayton and Lewis. We also can tell you that at least two positions will have multiple players put their names in the portal. As we reported in the past few weeks Clemson is preparing to be a player in the portal this offseason.

I’m sure you saw reports that North Texas hired former West Virginia head coach Neal Brown to be its next head coach. This news, of course, eliminated Clemson offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s name from taking that job.

What that means for Riley going forward, we will keep you posted. However, we still do not expect Riley back for the 2026 season.

As we reported last month, we expect there to be several changes on the coaching staff and with the support staff.

We can tell you that, according to one source, there are players that have told people they will not be back if Riley is still calling plays.

However, Swinney does not want it to hurt Riley’s chances of becoming a head coach somewhere else. Riley still has aspirations to be a head coach, even if it did not work out at North Texas.

Stayed tune for TCI for more information, as it comes available.