CLEMSON — Clemson football is about to get back in the swing of things, as the Tigers get set to play Penn State on Dec. 27 in the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City.

According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Clemson is a 4.5 favorite with 74 percent of the money on the Tigers. The Pinstripe Bowl kicks off at noon on ABC.

Speaking of the bowl game, as you know, Clemson has lost several players to the transfer portal, which was expected. The Clemson Insider has learned a few more players are also expected to go to the portal.

However, we are told these losses will not be a significant blow to next year’s roster.

TCI told you way back, when the regular season was still going on, that there could be a few high-profile players leaving the program. However, we have been told those players are expected to return to Tigertown.

Granted, things can change after the bowl game, especially with the transfer portal officially opening on Jan. 2. But right now, it appears Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has done another great job retaining his star players.

If you recall last year, Swinney was able to keep Cade Klubnik, Peter Woods, Antonio Williams and T.J. Parker at Clemson, as well as some other big-time playmakers.  It appears, at least for the time being, that he and the program are headed that way again.

Swinney is one of the best in the country when it comes to keeping his star players. It is why the program can salvage things when times are tough. By bringing back his star players repeatedly, it helps keep the culture he wants intact in the locker room.

Though you can argue Clemson should never have been 1-3 or 3-5 to begin with, you still need to give the Tigers credit for staying together and not folding, like we have seen other teams at other places do, this season and in the past.

On the coaching front, we know offensive coordinator Garrett Riley will not get the head coaching gig at Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers are expected to hire Missouri State’s Ryan Beard, according to reports.

Though Riley will not get the job at Coastal Carolina, we do not expect him to return in 2026 for a fourth season. There are other moving parts on the coaching staff that we are hearing, as well. As soon as we get more information, we will pass that information along.

As you know, the coaching information is very fluid. Stay tuned to TCI for all the latest news and information, as it comes available to us.