I think we can all agree that finishing 10th in Rivals rankings was a better result than we envisioned in mid-December, but it isn't the type of class we've been used to over the past few years. This year's class is the result of two things.
1)Dabo Swinney is our coach. An I will add editorially, thank sweet 8 pound baby Jesus for that. He's a man with values, a long term vision, who will change when necessary, but doesn't sway with the slightest breeze.
2) We lost the best D coordinator in the nation to a head coaching opportunity at a blue blood program just before early signing day and lost 4 defensive recruits.
People look at what "Pay them and they will come" Jimbo Fisher and Portal King Lane Kiffen are doing and wonder how we won't be left behind. I ask you to look at the history of both of these coaches.
Jimbo absolutely destroyed the most consistent program in college football history because he sold his soul for quick results. Winston has the deed on Jimbo's soul. And actively destroyed the winning culture built over decades by Bobby Bowden. A college football program cannot win long term when its team is comprised of mostly "me first" players. Don't believe me, watch any FSU game from 2015 to 2020. And I predict, watch any Texas A&M game from 2026 to 2040. This approach might bring short term success, but it's the FSU 2013 and LSU 2019 model. Those programs have paid for selling out for short term success. That is not Dabo Swinney!
Lane Kiffen has never and will never win big. He's a self promoting douche who doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself. His team this year was his best, and that isn't saying much. They beat the sisters of the poor, but fold the moment adversity shows up. That is not Dabo Swinney!
We will utilize NIL and the portal, but it will be the Clemson way. We won't jump into it blind, consequences be damned. The culture of the program will adjust, but Dabo won't let the foundation be eroded by taking short cuts to get a handful of players that are only here for money and the draft, they have to want to work to grow as players and people. We'll take full advantage of both in a way that matches the values of our program.
I can remember significant hand wringing and doomsday predictions on this board over how Swinney treated social media and the SEC TV contract. Look at what we've done, we have premiere level social media marketing of our program without having coaches with fake southern accents grinding on recruits. We also have, what amounts to, our own ESPN branded channel(ACC network is the Clemson network for football).
The landscape of college football is changing, to be sure. But I'd rather adjust with forethought and considered change than selling out everything that has led to our success.
We are a relatively small state land grant university in the corner of a small state, we don't win doing it the way Alabama, Georgia, or Texas A&M do it. We have to be better.
1)Dabo Swinney is our coach. An I will add editorially, thank sweet 8 pound baby Jesus for that. He's a man with values, a long term vision, who will change when necessary, but doesn't sway with the slightest breeze.
2) We lost the best D coordinator in the nation to a head coaching opportunity at a blue blood program just before early signing day and lost 4 defensive recruits.
People look at what "Pay them and they will come" Jimbo Fisher and Portal King Lane Kiffen are doing and wonder how we won't be left behind. I ask you to look at the history of both of these coaches.
Jimbo absolutely destroyed the most consistent program in college football history because he sold his soul for quick results. Winston has the deed on Jimbo's soul. And actively destroyed the winning culture built over decades by Bobby Bowden. A college football program cannot win long term when its team is comprised of mostly "me first" players. Don't believe me, watch any FSU game from 2015 to 2020. And I predict, watch any Texas A&M game from 2026 to 2040. This approach might bring short term success, but it's the FSU 2013 and LSU 2019 model. Those programs have paid for selling out for short term success. That is not Dabo Swinney!
Lane Kiffen has never and will never win big. He's a self promoting douche who doesn't give a crap about anyone but himself. His team this year was his best, and that isn't saying much. They beat the sisters of the poor, but fold the moment adversity shows up. That is not Dabo Swinney!
We will utilize NIL and the portal, but it will be the Clemson way. We won't jump into it blind, consequences be damned. The culture of the program will adjust, but Dabo won't let the foundation be eroded by taking short cuts to get a handful of players that are only here for money and the draft, they have to want to work to grow as players and people. We'll take full advantage of both in a way that matches the values of our program.
I can remember significant hand wringing and doomsday predictions on this board over how Swinney treated social media and the SEC TV contract. Look at what we've done, we have premiere level social media marketing of our program without having coaches with fake southern accents grinding on recruits. We also have, what amounts to, our own ESPN branded channel(ACC network is the Clemson network for football).
The landscape of college football is changing, to be sure. But I'd rather adjust with forethought and considered change than selling out everything that has led to our success.
We are a relatively small state land grant university in the corner of a small state, we don't win doing it the way Alabama, Georgia, or Texas A&M do it. We have to be better.
