"It's really remarkable": Clemson HC Dabo Swinney shows pride in low turnover of players in the transfer portal

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney has reacted to the number of players that the Tigers have lost in the recent transfer portal. The team only lost 12 players during the portal, which is an achievement in itself.

No team wants to lose any players in the transfer portal, but this is something that cannot be prevented. However, for a program as big as Clemson to lose only 12 players is impressive when compared to other larger and more prestigious programs.

Speaking to On3.com, Swinney said:

"I think it’s remarkable and I think it’s a testament to the people that we have in place.”

On average, the four teams that played in last season's college football playoffs (Michigan, Washington, Texas, and Alabama) lost 25 players in the off-season transfer portal. The Georgia Bulldogs also lost a similar amount, as did the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Dabo Swinney has said that a reason behind the small number of departures from the Clemson program is the culture that he has created.

“Our culture, how we go about things. Our process on the front end and then how we handle the day-to-day at Clemson. So, it’s pretty amazing.”

Which players did the Clemson Tigers lose?

There were two notable departures from the Clemson Tigers during the transfer portal.

One of these players is offensive tackle Zack Owens. He only played two games for the Tigers last season and was unable to make meaningful contributions to a offensive line that struggled last year.

Owens is now with the Colorado Buffaloes, swapping the experienced Dabo Swinney for Deion Sanders. He is likely to get more playtime in Boulder, but this may be easier said than done.

Another notable Tigers player who has left is Adam Kissayi. A three-star rated edge rusher from the state of Florida, he had originally committed to the Tigers program.

Kissayi enrolled at Clemson in January, so he is yet to play a game of college football. When this does happen, it will not be with the Clemson Tigers, as shortly after the spring transfer portal opened, Kissayi swapped Clemson for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

On the departures of these two players, Swinney told On3.com:

“Two young guys that really weren’t going to play this year. Had they stuck with it, I think they could have turned into good players. That’s why we signed them. But not everybody wants to be patient. Opportunity has been created where we make it very easy to move on, you see a lot of movement in college football.”

Dabo Swinney seems content with losing these two players. He does see them as players with great potential but not as irreplaceable.

Do you think that these players should have stayed at Clemson? Do let us know in the comments section.

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