Where once the national media would point to who Clemson hadn’t made the transfer portal, Dabo Swinney is mostly counting away his rings already in his locker room.
In his pre-spring presser, Swinney posted a staggering number of statistics that reflect a team not just talented, but also battle-hardened. The Tigers return 35 players who have started at least one college football game — among the highest in the Power 4.
“I like our roster. There are 35 guys who have started a college football game,” Swinney said. “We have 60 guys on our team that have college football playoff experience. They know what it smells like. That’s valuable."
More so is the trophy case: 57 players on the roster all have at least one ACC Championship ring. This degree of retention is the bedrock of Swinney’s "All In" philosophy. With rosters that are turned over 40-50% each year in a crazy world, Clemson has stayed in essence. It allows the coaching staff the chance to bypass the introductory stage of spring ball and dive directly into next level developmental drills.
“We’re not starting from zero,” Swinney said. “We’re starting with guys that have been in the fire.”
For a team that wants to get to the CFP in 2026, this “old-school” roster stability could prove to be a competitive advantage that is counter to their portal-heavy rivals.