Why Dabo Swinney may sign more no-star recruits like Keil McGriff for Clemson football

CLEMSON — Clemson football did something unusual on national signing day Feb. 4.

The Tigers signed a zero-star player, wide receiver Keil McGriff, out of Buchholz High School in Gainesville, Florida. He was among three signees added to Clemson‘s 2026 class, including junior college defensive lineman Andy Burburija and three-star wide receiver Cam Blivens.

Clemson has always added no-star recruits to its roster but typically as walk-on players.

This is a change that stems from the recent House vs. NCAA settlement, which permitted schools to pay players directly and does not allow programs to add traditional walk-ons anymore as roster and scholarship limits went to 105.

“This is the first year we’ve really recruited to a 105 number,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, a walk-on wide receiver at Alabama in 1989, said on Jan. 23. “For example, at receiver, your number is 14. Well, you’re not going to have 14 T.J. Moores and (Bryant) Wescos.

“That’s not reality. I know everybody would like to have that, but you can’t pay them number one, and they’re not going to stay.”

Scholarship sizes used to be at 85, but the increase has forced schools to use the remaining scholarships on walk-on caliber players.

Walk-ons who were grandfathered in on rosters and not put on scholarship before the 2025 season are considered “designated student-athletes,” who may remain on the roster and/or transfer without being counted against roster limits for the duration of their careers.

McGriff will be long-term developmental player for Clemson but on scholarship. Clemson has also expressed interest in pursuing transfer designated student-athletes to walk on at Clemson to give the Tigers more practice depth at no financial cost.

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Clemson added the bulk of its 2026 recruiting class on early signing day. The Tigers signed 20 players in December.

Clemson’s 2026 class is up to 23 players and is ranked No. 20 nationally (fourth in ACC), according to the 247Sports Composite.

“Again, you can’t pay everybody, so there’s a roster construction that you have to deal with at each position because you have to have the ability to practice, you got to have developmental guys and you got to have your high-end guys,” Swinney said. “That’s just the nature of where we are.”

Where Keil McGriff fits on Clemson football depth chart

McGriff, 5-foot-10, missed the 2025 season with an ankle injury. He is the son of former Florida and NFL wide receiver Travis McGriff.

Keil McGriff will join a loaded wide-receiver group that features Wesco, Moore, Tyler Brown, three freshman signees and possibly Tristan Smith.

With him coming off a season-ending injury and the wealth of talent in front of him, McGriff will likely be a reserve on Clemson’s 105-man roster and redshirt in 2026.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Why Dabo Swinney signed a no-star recruit for Clemson football