CLEMSON — Under the new revenue-sharing model that began ahead of last season, which includes roster limits, college football coaches are having to be more meticulous about how they put their rosters together.

Last week, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney shared some insight on how the Tigers approach that process.

While the new roster limit of 105 went into effect ahead of last season, the Tigers had well over that number already on the roster in 2025. That would also include walk-ons.

With that in mind, Swinney said this past portal cycle was the first time Clemson has really recruited to the new number.

“We’ve gone to 105, and that is another thing we had to address in the portal this year — this is the first year we have really recruited to a 105 number,” the head coach said.

After adding Jaylen Brown-Wallace, from Division 2 school Wingate, via the transfer portal, Swinney detailed how the staff goes about putting its wide receiver room together.

“For example, at receiver, your number is 14. Well, you’re not going to have 14 T.J. Moore’s and Bryant Wesco’s. That’s not reality,” he said. “I know everybody would like to have that, but you can’t pay them number one, and they are not going to stay. So you have to put your roster together, because you have to practice and you have to have some developmental guys.”

Swinney then provided more context on how Clemson determines value at the position, and how that plays into piecing the roster together. The head coach noted that of all of the receivers currently on the roster, about nine of those spots get most of the financial resources available.

“For lack of a better term, our goal is for that is to try and have nine maybe first, second and third round draft picks,” Swiney said. “I’m not talking about NFL, I am talking about dudes in our collegiate world here. High-end guys. These are your contract guys.

“Then maybe you have a couple of guys that are seventh-round type picks. Like a Clark (Sanderson) and a (Noah) Byrd. And then you got to have maybe three, just free agents, if you will. Scholarship only type guys. Because again, you can’t pay everybody. There is a roster construction you have to deal with at each position. That is just the nature of where we are.”

Photo by Bart Boatwright