When you play for Clemson, your mindset on the transfer portal changes to echo that of Dabo Swinney and Chase Brice is a prime example of that.
There's a reason you don't often see Clemson losing a ton to the transfer portal nor do you see Swinney hitting the portal to land guys via that avenue often. He has often said that he doesn't think the guys in the portal are better than his guys so there's no need to over-use it.
Swinney has since eased up on that position, grabbing some key transfers this offseason that proved during the spring game that they're going to have major impacts on this team.
Still, Swinney is hesitant to turn toward the portal for help.
One of his former quarterbacks who actually left the program via the portal agrees with Swinney despite spending time on two different teams after Clemson. Chase Brice sent out a warning to college athletes who are thinking of entering the portal for greener pastures.
The transfer portal is nothing to play with. Y’all better be careful before you get lost and left in there.
— Chase Brice (@chasebrice7) April 15, 2025
Brice is 100 percent correct here. Some of these kids are getting bad advice from their inner circles, entering the portal assuming that they're going to make some decent NIL money or get larger roles elsewhere, and far too often, they're getting forgotten and left behind.
There needs to be a study done on the number of college athletes who decide to transfer and can never find another home because of the portal. It has to be hundreds every year.
Obviously the portal can be a good thing for kids who deal with poor situations or coaching changes, but it's getting used far too often for selfish reasons. And it's not even the kids' fault, it's the system that's broken.
Brice is right, though. Don't mess with the portal unless you're confident you'll find a new home because you might just get swallowed up by it.