Swinney Pushes Back Against Critics of NIL Use, Recruiting Philosophy

CLEMSON- Dabo Swinney has always done it his way.

The veteran head coach, who took over the full-time role at Clemson following the 2008 season, has built the program in his vision. While the college game has changed dramatically during Swinney’s tenure, at its core, the foundation of what he has built at Clemson has mostly stayed in tact, even if he has had to adapt in some areas due to the ever-changing landscape.

Critics like to point to Swinney’s recruiting philosophy as an area in which he has failed to adapt, and the head coach would strongly disagree with that sentiment. While he may not have adapted in the way that some would like, especially when it comes to how the Tigers approach the portal, adapt he has.

However, some of the narratives out there, particularly from some in the national media, would suggest that Swinney is stuck in the past. The evidence suggests otherwise, though. One example would be the CAB facility the Tigers built. It was a first of its kind NIL dedicated facility in the country.

“Sometimes I think people think just because a guy didn’t commit to Clemson is because of NIL. That’s not the case,” Swinney said. “That is the case sometimes, for sure, but that’s not always the case. There are other great programs, and other great coaches and people. And sometimes kids… it’s a better fit for them somewhere else. That’s just part of recruiting.”

“That’s why I don’t really ever get caught up in who we don’t get. The key is to focus on the ones that you do get, and that’s what we’ve been able to do around here for a long time. But again, as far as our recruiting, if NIL is THE factor, we’re probably not gonna get them. Simple as that. If it’s A factor, we’ve got as good of a shot as anybody.”

With some of the recruiting misses this summer, and there were more coming out of the official visit weekend than there have been in the past two years, the criticism really amped up. Swinney pushed back some against that criticism, maintaining that he is happy with where the 2025 recruiting class is currently.

While Swinney readily admitted that NIL will be the reason why they miss on some guys, it’s not always the reason. The head coach has made no secret about the fact that if a high school recruit is chasing money first and foremost, he’s probably not the right fit for Clemson.

“First of all, this class is awesome,” he said. “Most of our guys last year committed after our visit, Most of the guys this year were committed going into the visit. It’s not a big class. You can do the math, y’all are all smart. You can count the scholarships. We don’t have a lot of spots. We’re super excited about our class. I can’t talk about them personally, but we’ve been able to get the guys… we don’t offer many guys, first of all. So if we get one of the guys that we’ve offered, we think pretty highly of them. So we’re really excited where our class is. And as far as NIL stuff, it’s been great for us. It’s really been a blessing for our guys.”

Swinney has always wanted Clemson to be unique. There is no denying that the culture he has created inside the program is different than most. However, that doesn’t mean it’s the right cultural fit for every kid coming out of high school.

And as long as he is the head coach, Swinney will continue to do things his way in an effort to do what he believes is best for the program.

“We’ve always done things differently,” Swinney said. “We’ve always been unique in our approach. We’ve always signed a class that’s ranked 8-15. In fact, I think the highest-ranked class we’ve signed did the worst. So, go figure. I think we’re right where we always are.”

A limited number of signed footballs from Clemson’s 2022 class are still available.  Get yours while supplies last!  Visit Clemson Variety & Frame or purchase online!