For years the Clemson faithful’s rallying cry to the people was simple: Just use the portal. Finally, Dabo Swinney in 2026 finally heard it out with a double-digit transfer class that represented a colossal philosophical shift for Tigertown. But the national media reports the Tigers could be bringing a knife to a gunfight.
Even as the team has ramped up its volume, analysts at The Athletic and CBS Sports are sounding alarm bells, asking if Clemson was truly the remedy for the rot that resulted in a disappointing 7–6 run in 2025. The critique is not about numbers — it’s about pedigree.
Just as its peer programs are poaching these proven Power Four starters, the talent at Clemson for a 10-man haul is steeped in a lean toward smaller-school prospects and developmental depth pieces. The more polarizing feature of Clemson’s 2026 portal plan is the almost total silence on the offensive side of the ball. While the defense made nine additions, the offensive team signed only one: SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr.
This “conservative track” has left some scratching their heads — especially when the Tigers’ offensive line itself was a lightning rod for criticism last season.
"My gripe for Clemson is on the offensive side of the ball," wrote CBS Sports' Chris Hummer, who labeled the Tigers a portal "loser" for this recent cycle.
This cycle in the red for the Tigers has brought with it only further erosion of their offensive system because no QBs or OLs have joined them. The Tigers placed near the bottom of the country in pressure rate allowed and yards created before contact in 2025. By preferring to pursue internal development over veteran reinforcements, Swinney is staking a big bet that the current roster’s “ceiling” hasn’t been reached yet.
Defensively, it’s a whole different story. Coordinator Tom Allen was aggressive in filling holes left by a losing first-round team that was drafted with T.J. Parker and Peter Woods.
The Tigers brought several bodies in the secondary and on the line, such as: Donovan Starr (CB, Auburn). Elliot Washington II (CB, Penn State). Jerome Carter III (S, Old Dominion). London Merritt (DE, Colorado).
But, as The Athletic mentioned, many of these players are coming from depth roles or mid-major programs. And while they have “experience and upside” on offer, they have no “proven Power Four starting résumés,” the kind of strong proof of their careers that, by definition, a championship-caliber portal class typically enjoys. Perhaps the most questionable of such moves was turning back a veteran quarterback to compete with or backup Christopher Vizzina. After Cade Klubnik’s departure, Vizzina is the undisputed “guy” for 2026. Though Vizzina has occasionally been efficient in limited action, the absence of a “starting-caliber” portal addition means Clemson stands one injury away from an absolute crisis at the sport’s most significant position.
The underlying bet in Tigertown remains the same as 2016: Clemson still believes its culture and internal growth are better than the "splashy" shopping of the modern age. Whether its belief is “prudent or problematic” will be answered loudly on Sept. 5, when the Tigers begin their season at the open against a portal-laden LSU team in Baton Rouge.