Clemson’s lopsided loss to Georgia provides latest indictment on Dabo Swinney shunning transfer portal era

ATLANTA — In a sport that continues to evolve at a ferocious pace, Dabo Swinney remains steady in the turbulent sea.

College football‘s dichotomy was on full display Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Clemson, the program that refuses to use the transfer portal, against a powerhouse of transfers and high school talent.  Unsurprisingly, No. 14 Clemson’s home-grown talent was bludgeoned 34-3 by No. 1 Georgia. Immediately, critics pointed to Clemson’s roster — and as Swinney sat down to face reporters after the game, he knew what was coming.

“It doesn’t matter what I say, people are gonna say whatever they want to say,” he said. “We do what’s best for Clemson, year in and year out. When you lose like this, they’ve got every right to say whatever they want to say. So, say whatever you want to say, write whatever you want to write. That comes with it. That’s just part of it.”

The “adapt or die” mantra has never been more prevalent in the sport. Still, Swinney remains frustratingly steadfast in his reluctance to adapt. The question of whether his philosophy works in this new era has loomed over his program, which is now four years removed from its last appearance in the College Football Playoff — the same year the transfer portal took the sport by storm. 

Kirby Smart served yet another reminder Saturday. Three transfers accounted for the game’s biggest plays — and a pair of touchdowns.

In a perfect world, the portal would not be crutch for a coach, but it’s part of the job in 2024.

“It’s a forced situation. You have to use it,” Smart said. 

Long gone are the days of Trevor Lawrence, Sammy Watkins, DeAndre Hopkins, Travis Etienne and Deshaun Watson. In their place is a stable of loyal but not-quite-elite skill players on Clemson’s offense. The defense has been just fine, for the most part, in the portal era — and it certainly looked the part of a top-10 unit in the trenches Saturday. But what plagues Clemson is the past, when game-breaking receivers and quarterbacks lifted the Tigers to two national championships in only three years. For whatever reason, four- and five-star replacements haven’t panned out. Instead of fixing the problem with personnel by snagging a top-tier quarterback or receiver in the portal, Swinney invested in high school players and their development.

It’s admirable, and certainly appreciated in recruiting circles, but year after year of diminishing returns has placed Clemson at an inflection point. 

What makes it so much more frustrating for fans is that Swinney has proven capable of adapting. He has fired loyal assistants. A year ago, he hired the hottest coordinator Garrett Riley in the sport — Garrett Riley — to run his offense. In the offseason, veteran offensive line coach Matt Luke was brought on board.

“I believe in my coach. That’s why I came here,” said receiver Antonio Williams. “He believes in his way of doing things and developing players and men, At the end of the day, if there is a role that he needed to fill, he’s done that. He’s shown that he will go get somebody, whether it’s a coach or a player. He believes in everybody we have here. I know I do.”

The fact remains Clemson has not started a transfer player in the portal era. The Tigers were also the only program in the FBS to not add a transfer in the offseason.

On the other sideline, a trio of transfers looked like superstars. 

Vanderbilt transfer London Humphreys caught two huge passes, including a 40-yard touchdown. Miami transfer Colbie Young scored on a 7-yard fade route. Missouri transfer Dominic Lovett showed off his slippery hips on the edges, picking up 29 of his 33 yards after the catch. 

No player Saturday encapsulated why the portal is so important more than Humphreys. When Dillon Bell suffered a cramp, Humphreys stepped in his place and delivered with gusto in his debut with two grabs for 64 yards. 

Georgia faced questions of its own in the offseason after losing two of its top three receivers. Tight end Brock Bowers departed for the NFL as arguably the best tight end in college football history. On Saturday, a mix of transfers and former prospects picked up the weight and carried it with ease.

“Everyone wants to say guys left and there’s no talent in there, but there’s so much talent, and we have so much confidence in every single guy that goes out there and steps out there on the field,” said Carson Beck, who threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Clemson trusted its veteran receivers to step forward. Williams and tight end Jake Briningstool delivered with 11 combined catches. Hopes were high that heralded five-star freshman Bryant Wesco Jr. would shine, but he caught only one pass for 5 yards. Might the result be different had Clemson simply plucked a player or two from the portal? It works for Georgia, so why not the Tigers?

Swinney was quick to point out that the story on the 2024 season will not be written until December, but it certainly has the same themes of Volumes 2021, 2022 and 2023. Clemson will contend in the ACC, just as it did after a 2-2 start last season, but the program isn’t close to reaching the heights of the mid-2010s.

That’s not to say Clemson is an also-ran, but is it truly a contender? The cracks are apparent in the portal era. On Saturday, Clemson suffered its worst loss since 2013 and failed to score a touchdown for only the fourth time in Swinney’s career (214 games) — two of those games against Georgia.

“I feel great about our team and leadership on this team. People may say, ‘well he’s just crazy, you just got your butt kicked,’” said Swinney. “A loss is a loss, I hate losing anytime, to anybody, anywhere. We work too hard, so it hurts. It’s gonna leave a mark. This will be one I’ll never forget, that’s for sure, but I remember every loss.”

Swinney has a firm grasp on the here and now, but questions abound about the big picture. Time will tell if Swinney taps into the portal before it swallows him.