Clemson football: 5 problems that will continue to linger even after 2021 ends

Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables react during the fourth quarter at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., September 25, 2021.Ncaa Football Clemson At Nc State
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and defensive coordinator Brent Venables react during the fourth quarter at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., September 25, 2021.Ncaa Football Clemson At Nc State /
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Dabo Swinney, Clemson football (PHOTO COURTESY OF IMAGN) /

Five problems that aren’t going away for Clemson football even after 2021 ends

3. The NCAA Transfer Portal & subsequent scholarship issues

Clemson has had three players enter the NCAA Transfer Portal just in the regular season alone. That’s not counting the numerous players who have entered during the offseason or who will enter this winter, spring or summer leading into the 2022 season.

While Dabo Swinney doesn’t like the NCAA Transfer Portal, he has to find a way to embrace it or, frankly, it will kill the Clemson football program.

You can’t continue to lose 4-star talent to the portal and then replace them with a walk-on time after time. That’s how you run into depth issues.

Clemson needs to start over-signing in recruiting classes to compensate for the transfer losses and Swinney needs to begin at least looking at potential targets in the portal.

We’re not advocating for him to take five transfers a year, but when you see programs like Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State consistently getting better through their additions in the Transfer Portal, one can only surmise that the Tigers could have the same success if they wouldn’t tie one arm behind their back.

Say what you want to, but the landscape of College Football is changing and Clemson is going to have to change some of its practices if it wants to continue to compete at the top.