Clemson football fans need to stop bashing Transfer Portal & embrace what’s coming
There’s a contingent of the Clemson football fan base who are steadfast against the idea of embracing the NCAA Transfer Portal, but it’s time for that to come to an end.
Dabo Swinney has steadfastly been against the free-agency culture that has been growing in College Football over the last half-decade, especially, and no one can blame him.
There has been a rule set by the Clemson football program that the Tigers simply don’t take transfers and they focus on recruiting players in high school who will remain committed, loyal and whose character matches up with the program’s standards.
Even though Swinney has still taken a hard approach in what he says pertaining to the transfer portal, things are changing behind-the-scenes of the Clemson football program and we need to take notice.
As Rubbing the Rock’s Jeff Benedict put it earlier, actions speak louder than words. Swinney just created a position for Danny Pearman that will consist primarily of scouting the Transfer Portal. He sees the writing on the wall and understands that the program must evolve.
No one is saying Clemson football should live in the Transfer Portal. It’s about being smart and taking the common sense approach
Ohio State doesn’t beat Clemson without two transfers- QB Justin Fields and RB Trey Sermon.
You can make the argument that Alabama doesn’t have any transfers- and that’s true- but the Crimson Tide also consistently have the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation and they bring in 5-stars galore regardless of their positional needs. Clemson simply doesn’t recruit that way.
If you’re not going to bring in 25 4-stars & 5-stars every class and you’re going to take the conservative approach in how you recruit in being selective- as Clemson does- you’re going to have to find ways to replace talent when it does leave.
We’re not suggesting Clemson football bring in three transfers every year. We’re not even suggesting that the Tigers bring in a transfer every year. No one is making the argument that the Tigers should devote as many resources to recruiting the portal, but all we’re saying is that when common sense arrives, there should be room to grow.
Fields, Sermon, Joe Burrow, Arik Gilbert. These are just a few names that we can place as game-changing transfers.
We’re not saying that the Tiger should go actively seek out and search the portal with a fine-tooth comb. We’re saying that when a name like Gilbert or Sermon comes available at the right time, that they should be open to making those offers.
Not all transfers are misfits who made poor decisions and got kicked off of teams. Not all transfers are selfish players who are only looking for their own interests.
It’s time to stop bashing the transfer portal and embrace that this is the hand we’ve all been dealt, for better or for worse.
Dabo Swinney knows what is coming and has made changes to embrace it, and that should be enough for Clemson football fans.