What Dabo Swinney said about Clemson football's transfer portal plans for 2026
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CLEMSON — Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney said he knows the Tigers will have “a couple spots” available on their roster for transfer portal players.
“We got to see how it all shakes out,” Swinney said Nov. 18. “There’s no (specific) number we know right now.”
Clemson (5-5) is enduring its worst season under Swinney since 2010 as the Tigers will miss the ACC championship and the College Football Playoff.
The Tigers will host Furman (6-5) on Nov. 22 (4:30 p.m. ET, The CW) at Memorial Stadium. Clemson needs to win one of its final two games to be bowl eligible for the 21st year in a row.
Swinney said Clemson will pursue portal players based on fluctuating needs. Those include not landing a high school recruit, a commit decommitting late in the cycle, an unexpected player departing in the portal or a player who hasn’t panned out or is injured, like in previous seasons.
Swinney said he will alert everyone when he identifies what Clemson’s needs are in the portal.
“It’s not like it’s some big secret. I’ll let everybody know. I’ll let y’all advertise that for me,” Swinney said.
Last year, the Tigers added three portal players, the most Swinney has ever signed in a cycle. Edge rusher Will Heldt and wide receiver Tristan Smith were two portal additions that Clemson pursued because of a defensive lineman recruit decommitted and two wide receivers entered the portal.
Swinney said he and his staff communicate with players “daily” on whether they will leave or stay. He expects some departures from players who want more playing time but expressed those who usually leave Clemson graduate with their degree.
Clemson has had one of the best player retention rates in the sport, only losing seven players to the portal last season after 12 departed in 2023. The Tigers already have one player who is entering this year’s portal, cornerback Shelton Lewis.
Swinney also reiterated that he does not “cut” players and force them to go to the portal.
“As long as a kid does what he’s supposed to do here, he’s gonna have the opportunity to graduate from Clemson,” Swinney said.
Clemson will experience roster turnover with multiple starters running out of eligibility, including quarterback Cade Klubnik, linebacker Wade Woodaz and right tackle Blake Miller. Cornerback Avieon Terrell, edge rusher T.J. Parker and defensive tackle Peter Woods are eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Clemson has 20 players committed in its 2026 class but has suffered three decommitments: four-star defensive linemen Keshawn Stancil (Miami) and Dre Quinn (Ohio State) and three-star safety Blake Stewart.
Why Dabo Swinney would change transfer portal dates
These losses and impending portal decisions from current Tigers could cause Clemson to dip into the new, one-time portal window that opens from Jan. 2-16 for all FBS and FCS players.
Swinney believes having one window in January is an improvement from having two windows in December and April but thinks the period should be moved to Feb. 1 or in the spring. He cited how a later date would keep players from making an “emotional” decision to leave and how it will benefit teams in the CFP that could lose players on rosters that already dealing with injuries.
“I understand why a lot of coaches want it where it is, so they have their roster as soon as January starts,” Swinney said. “I don’t think that’s the best thing for kids.”
What Dabo Swinney said about Virginia Tech hiring James Franklin
Virginia Tech announced the hiring of former Penn State coach James Franklin as its coach on Nov. 17. He will replace Brent Pry, who spent four seasons with the Hokies.
The Nittany Lions fired Franklin on Oct. 12 after Penn State dropped three straight games to Oregon, UCLA and Northwestern. Penn State entered 2025 as the No. 3 team in the preseason coaches poll and was considered national championship contenders.
“He’s a winner. He hadn’t won the championship, but he was a play away last year from bring in the national championship,” Swinney said. “He’s a proven football coach. They made a great hire.”
Clemson will host Virginia Tech next season in what will be the first meeting between Swinney and Franklin, who had a 104-45 record in 12 seasons with Penn State.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: How Clemson coach Dabo Swinney would change transfer portal window
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