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Dabo Swinney earns high praise from ESPN personality for "doing it his way"

ByConnor Muldowney|
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney during the game between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers in the CFP National Playoff First Round at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It's amazing the type of turnaround that Dabo Swinney and Clemson football have had in the media over the past year, going from "maybe this is the end of a dominant era" to "they're back" in the span of a few months.

Following yet another playoff berth under Swinney in 2024, the Tigers lost to the Texas Longhorns in their first game in Austin. It was a disappointing end to a promising season, but Clemson knew it would be back given the number of underclassmen on the roster.

In fact, Clemson returns the most production of any team in the Power Four.

Swinney has gotten the image of Clemson cleaned up after a few letdown seasons in which he was criticized heavily for his view on the transfer portal. He said that Clemson doesn't need to use the portal because the guys he has on the roster are better than what's out there.

And that hadn't quite been the case for a few years. He could've followed in the footsteps of Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, or Georgia and utilized the portal to supplement and complement.

This offseason, however, he dipped his toe into the portal ever-so-slightly, landing three high-impact guys who have already shown out and have earned high praise nationally. College football experts have taken notice of the roster that Swinney has pieced together in his own way and they're screaming his praises from the mountaintops.

ESPN studio host Matt Barrie was one of those personalities praising Swinney.

"I will give Dabo Swinney more credit than anyone in the country."

That's something that no one expected major media personalities to be uttering in 2025 after Swinney failed to utilize the portal for years. He's not being lauded as a coach who got it done his way and didn't cave into the pressures of the NIL and transfer portal era. Is he assimilating? Slowly, but he's doing it on his terms.

You have to respect it.

Swinney did just win the ACC and make yet another playoff by coaching his way and constructing the roster the way he sees fit. And the 2025 season should be even more special.

Yes, Dabo deserves all the praise.

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