A former Clemson star wishes head coach Dabo Swinney had done things differently.

During the Tigers’ game against North Carolina on Saturday, former Clemson defensive end Xavier Thomas suggested that he wished Swinney had retired alongside legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban.

“I wish he left this new era of CFB when Saban did, he deserved to go out way better than this,” Thomas wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Thomas has been vocal on social media about Clemson’s struggles.

Following Clemson’s lopsided 51-10 season-opening loss to LSU on Sept. 5, Thomas posted on X, “First time our preseason ranking has been right .. in a long time.”

Last season, amid Clemson’s eventual 7-6 campaign, Thomas clarified his respect for Swinney while remaining firm on the program’s downward trend.

“Not once would I ever & have ever spoke down on Dabo. But, the Standard will always be the Standard, & it’s not being upheld,” Thomas posted via X on Sept. 20, 2025, following Clemson’s 34-21 loss to Syracuse that dropped the Tigers to 1-3 at the time.  

Swinney, Clemson’s all-time winningest coach and the winningest coach in ACC history, is now in his 19th season (and 18th full season) as Clemson’s head coach in 2026. He has won nine ACC titles and two national titles, but the Tigers have made the College Football Playoff just once since 2020, and last year’s 7-6 campaign marked the second-worst record in Swinney’s tenure.

Thomas, a two-time All-ACC selection in 2019 and 2021 and a 2018 national champion, was credited with 133 tackles (34 for loss), nine pass breakups, six forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries over 61 games (30 starts) in his career as a Tiger from 2018-23.