Dabo Swinney, the coach who came with very minimal hype or excitement, for that matter, in 2008. But, in his time in the “Tiger Town,” he has undoubtedly registered himself into the Clemson Tigers‘ history books. 8 ACC titles and 2 national championships make him undoubtedly one of the greatest coaches in the modern era. He sits right with the likes of Nick Saban and Kirby Smart. However, if one puts his storied history with the Clemson Tigers aside for a moment, there are some things that are very hard to ignore.

Clemson hadn’t qualified for the playoffs since they lost to Ohio State in the semifinal in the 2020 season. Their inability to make the playoffs despite winning the ACC championship in 2022 shows some signs of decline. Come the 2024 season, they won the ACC and also made it to the playoffs, only to get eliminated at the hands of the Texas Longhorns. But consider this for a moment. They were the 12th seed in the 12-team college playoffs and also lost some crucial games throughout the season. So, let’s not jump to conclusions, at least from a neutral standpoint. Josh Pate highlighted some of their issues and issued a stern caution for the future.

“I’ve got concerns about recruiting where Clemson’s headed. They just finished with the 26th-ranked class in the country. That’s the lowest since 2010. Many would say recruiting rankings are flawed, and there is a lot more to them. Yes, there is. But there are also pretty inarguable trends and variables and rules in this sport. I am not talking about you floating just outside the top 10. I am talking about you steadily trending downward to where you’re not even finishing in the top three in your conference anymore. There’s a clear separation between the level Clemson’s recruiting at now and a couple of the top teams in their own conference.” Believe it or not, recruitment at Clemson undoubtedly has seen a downward trend. That may have ramifications in the future. And here’s why.

According to 247 Sports, their 2025 football class ranks 29th overall nationally and 26th in composite rankings. Their transfer rankings are even more appealing, where they are ranked 101st, which is lower than even many of the low-rated unranked teams. Their 2025 class is the lowest ranked in almost 15 years. When otherwise, Swinney was known to make formidable rosters when he produced 5 consecutive top-20 recruiting classes. However, this time around, the Tigers even lagged Syracuse and Duke in ESPN’s rankings for the cycle. Both these programs will be headaches for Swinney, along with Miami and SMU.

And if you think for a moment that it’s just a number, then hear this. They only have a 5-star rated prospect in Amare Adams (DL) and only have 13 freshman enrollees. Their transfers also do not have the firepower to match other top Power 4 conference teams. Since they have only 3 transfers and only Jeremiah Alexander (LB), who transferred from Alabama, looks decent. No wonder Josh Pate is concerned. And if that looks even a bit ominous, then there’s more.

Clemson Tigers and Swinney at a financial standstill?

Swinney signed a 10-year contract extension with Clemson in 2022 that guaranteed him a $115 million gross pay. The extension enabled Swinney to remain at Clemson till 2031. The extension was undoubtedly more than deserved, as Swinney had led Clemson to become one of the most feared teams in college football. But, ever since his extension, he has more or less lacked in delivering on the levels of a powerhouse team. And that’s why some of the supporters have come out with brutal verdicts.

While those supporters may be a vocal minority, the prospect of Swinney leaving the Tigers is undoubtedly explored. But even that is easier said than done. As Swinney’s contract guarantees him payments worth $60 million if he is shown the door in 2025. In 2026 the figure becomes $57 million, and thus makes even the thought of firing him quite costly for Clemson. Whatever may well happen, one thing is clear. That Swinney needs to rectify his recent setbacks in the 2024 season. He can probably use the transfer portal to build something solid as the NIL era is upon us, and it will cost much less than $60 million to build a solid 2025 class.