Which was honestly never a strong suit even in the best of times for Clemson, in the current landscape, in order to have any chance at high level success (with the force Dabo to completely change narrative sensibly excluded), the coaching staff must always be exclusively comprised of experienced and proven recruiters and developers and everything must be done year in and year out to ensure your starting QB is someone you can depend on to run the offense effectively.
Consider the below on a compare and contrast basis; I see a pretty easy correlation between staff composition + QB competency = season W/L record.
I do also agree with the thought expressed here in the wake of the Georgia game that Dabo's belief that he doesn't need the portal is not causal, it is an effect of the inability to make a sober and realistic evaluation of the roster and to identify and accept weaknesses that require address. Hope is not a strategy and there is far too much "over-believing" that an average player will become something else. You can elevate talented guys to great heights by supporting them but you can't turn an elephant into a cheetah by sheer force of will.
Consider the below on a compare and contrast basis; I see a pretty easy correlation between staff composition + QB competency = season W/L record.
I do also agree with the thought expressed here in the wake of the Georgia game that Dabo's belief that he doesn't need the portal is not causal, it is an effect of the inability to make a sober and realistic evaluation of the roster and to identify and accept weaknesses that require address. Hope is not a strategy and there is far too much "over-believing" that an average player will become something else. You can elevate talented guys to great heights by supporting them but you can't turn an elephant into a cheetah by sheer force of will.
| 2012 | 2022 | QB | ||
| HC | Dabo Swinney | Dabo Swinney | 12 | Boyd |
| OC/QB | Chad Morris | Brandon Streeter | 13 | Boyd |
| DC/LB | Brent Venables | Wes Goodwin | 14 | Stoudt/Watson |
| RB | Tony Elliott | CJ Spiller | 15 | Watson |
| WR | Jeff Scott | Tyler Grisham | 16 | Watson |
| OL | Robbie Caldwell | Thomas Austin | 17 | Bryant |
| DT | Dan Brooks | Nick Eason | 18 | Bryant/Lawrence |
| DE | Marion Hobby | Lemanski Hall | 19 | Lawrence |
| DB | Charlie Harbison | Mike Reed (CB/ST) | 20 | Lawrence |
| Mickey Conn (S) | 21 | Uiagalelei | ||
| TE/ST | Danny Pearman | Kyle Richardson | 22 | Uiagalelei |
23 | Klubnik | |||
24 | Klubnik |
