"Nobody questions Dabo's culture" - Analyst J.D. PicKell breaks down Clemson's potential for 2025 under coach Dabo Swinney
Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers have one of the most structured ways of operations, including barely ever dipping into the transfer portal. After a 10-4 finish last season that included an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and College Football Playoff appearance, Swinney has dipped into the portal and made changes to propel the team forward in 2025.
During Sunday's segment of the "On3" podcast, analyst J.D. PicKell broke down why Clemson stagnated during the past few years and how the divisive coach has corrected the issues going into the 2025 season.
"Clemson has got to find a way to adjust, they have to," PicKell said (4:30). "Slightly adjust their way of doing things. And they've done that. Dipped their toe in the portal, go grab a Tom Allen from outside your staff for your defensive coordinator to go with another OC you grabbed from outside your staff in Garrett Riley.
"This is where I think Clemson really thrives. Because nobody has ever questioned Dabo Swinney in what he is as a football coach. People question him as a roster builder, people question him getting with the times in college football.
"Nobody questions Dabo's culture and the reason that Clemson hasn't had the success that they've expected to have after they've made the college football playoffs six years in a row is that the talent isn't at a place that the culture would make the difference. It is now, in my estimation. I feel really good about Clemson, I feel really good about what they'll be in 2025."
The Tigers' 2025 transfer portal additions so far include Southeast Missouri State wide receiver Tristan Smith, Purdue defensive lineman Will Heldt and Alabama linebacker Jeremiah Alexander.
Dabo Swinney praised for championship pedigree team
During Friday's segment of the "Josh Pate College Football Show," CBS analyst Josh Pate praised the outspoken Dabo Swinney for building the best team in the ACC and a national championship-contending roster.
"They have won six of the last eight ACC championships, including two of the past three," Pate said. "No one's touching them, and they're the No. 2 talent acquisition program in the conference right now. The foundation has been rock solid.
"Organizationally, they've been rock solid. Zero doubt. You can question methodology or strategy here and there. Dabo Swinney has got the best program, Clemson's got the best program in the ACC. And it's the only program there that has a championship pedigree. The only one even to this day that I can look at them and say, 'I could see Clemson winning a national championship.'"
Instead of hiring from within as he has done in the past, Swinney hired the experienced Tom Allen from the Penn State Nittany Lions to be his defensive coordinator. He further brought in three players via the transfer portal to complement his team, which will have several offensive returnees, including influential quarterback Cade Klubnik.
The optimism around the Tigers is growing, and on Friday, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt ranked Dabo Swinney's team No. 7 in his way-too-early top 10 ahead of the 2025 season.