One national analyst thinks any talk of Dabo Swinney being on the hot seat at Clemson is rather silly.

Josh Pate once again dove into the Tigers on a recent episode of his College Football Show and despite the 7-6 campaign last year, the national analyst thinks its premature to think Swinney’s job might be on the line.

“I hadn’t put Dabo Swinney on the hot seat,” Pate said. “Maybe other people have. Maybe you’ve heard other people say that. I haven’t done that. I think that’s dumb.”

Pate readily admits the Tigers had their share of struggles in 2025, including a problematic secondary and an inability to consistently run the ball, but he also sees the moves Swinney has made to address those issues.

Clemson retooled the backend of its defense through the portal, while also adding SMU transfer Chris Johnson Jr. to a running back room that also includes Gideon Davidson. Johnson is considered one of the fastest players in the country.

“So last year, what could they not do? They couldn’t run the ball. They couldn’t defend the pass,” Pate said. “They were 105th in rush yards per game. They were 120th in pass yards allowed per game. So, did that change? I think so. Yeah. There’s a lot to like about the team. I’m not trashing Clemson. There’s a lot to like about this team. That wide receiver room is really, really good. Will Heldt is one of the best edges in the country. They added good portal pieces in the secondary. I’d say Ashton Hampton, who’s a homegrown guy, is maybe one of the best corners in the country this year. I hear promising things about the ground game.”

Pate also believes Clemson’s offensive line has some potential due to Matt Luke, despite having to replace a lot of experience up front. He’s also confident in the team’s belief in Chris Vizzina.

“I can’t know how that offensive line is going to fare in pass protection. It sounded kinda up and down to me in fall camp so far, but I’ll tell you this, if anyone’s going to get it out of them, I think Matt Luke is a guy I would trust, so I wouldn’t write them off. I definitely wouldn’t write them off, but more so than anything else, the collective attitude that place has, should not be discounted. The fight that that team is willing to have for that quarterback, even if the rest of America is overlooking it, it shouldn’t be discounted, and what Dabo Swinney has historically done in this spot, should not be discounted.”

While Pate certainly isn’t predicting a national title from Clemson, he does believe it might be a little too early to write Swinney’s program completely off.

“I know what logic says. Logic says they had their shot last year,” Pate said. “Their roster was more talented last year. If they didn’t get it done last year, why would I expect them to get it done this year? I understand. I’ve even thought that way. Just let’s not marry preseason notions, is all I’m saying.”