Clemson football balance sheet: Tigers in the black despite losing key personnel

Despite several key losses on both sides of the ball for Clemson football, the 2018 champs are in the black and primed for another national title.

The 2019 Clemson football season was one that saw the Tigers make their fourth national championship game in five seasons despite losing 14 players to either the NFL or transfer portal from their 2018 national championship team.

Clemson football coaches balance sheet – black

There is no doubt that once again that the Clemson coaching staff is operating in the positive after the 2020 winter offseason.

Head coach Dabo Swinney was able to retain nine of his 10 on the field coaches as only co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott left the program as he took the head coaching job at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Scott will be replaced with former Clemson football wide receiver Tyler Grisham, who has been with the program for several years as a graduate assistant and then an offensive analyst.

Of the ten assistant coaches on the Clemson football roster, six of them will be in at least their fifth season with the program.

Clemson football returning letterman balance sheet – black

Any time you bring back the nation’s best quarterback, you are going to have a chance to be successful and that is exactly where the Tigers sit with Trevor Lawrence returning for his third season. Not only will Lawrence be back, but the Tigers got a huge surprise when the ACC Player of the Year, Travis Etienne, announced he was coming back for his fourth and final season.

Yes, Clemson football lost seven players to the NFL draft and several more had their eligibility come to an end, including four of the five offensive line starters, but Clemson football does a great job of building depth with early playing time, so returning letterman are ready to step into more playing time.

The Tigers do have several areas of concern including the secondary, the offensive line, and back-up quarterback, but all of those have obvious answers and will be filled by young but highly talented players looking to make a name for themselves in 2020.

Clemson football incoming freshman balance sheet – black

2020 Clemson football will feature one of the best signing classes in the country with some of the best talents from coast to coast.

Dabo Swinney was able to real in three of the top six recruits in the country when quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, defensive tackle Bryan Bresee, and defensive end Myles Murphy all signed with the Tigers. When you add in other highly ranked prospects such as linebacker Trenton Simpson and corner Fred Davis II, the Tigers will be young but talented.

After five straight years of unprecedented and sustained success, the Clemson football balance sheet looks like it is primed and ready for another run that will put Clemson among the all-time decade college athletics has ever seen.