Dabo Swinney, Clemson appear poised to use transfer portal. Why that’s a good thing
After much talk about the transfer portal this season, it seems Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is looking into using it after all.
Former Louisiana offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence tweeted Tuesday night that the Tigers had extended him a scholarship offer. Swinney has been critical of the portal, noting what he feels is wrong with it on more than one occasion while maintaining that he’s not opposed to using it.
“I’m not anti-transfer portal,” Swinney said during his weekly radio show in October. “We just haven’t needed it. That could change. I’ve always said, if we need it, we’ll use it strategically to fit a need or something.”
Insert Clemson’s offensive line.
This season, the unit was one of the most affected by injuries, featuring seven different starting lineups over the 13 games played this season. The only lineman who played and started in every game was Jordan McFadden, an all-ACC second team choice and two-time ACC Offensive Lineman of the Week who totaled 798 snaps during his redshirt junior campaign. It’s not immediately known whether or not he’ll return for a redshirt senior season.
Armed with experience, Torrence could help to fill the Tigers’ need on the O-line. He played and started in all 11 of Louisiana’s games in 2020, earning All-Sun Belt Conference second team honors. The 6-foot-5, 335-pounder was part of a unit that ranked fifth nationally in tackles for loss allowed (3.64) and sacks per game allowed (0.82).
This year, the Louisiana native made the All-Sun Belt Conference first team at right guard in 10 games played. The Ragin Cajuns’ offensive line ranked 35th nationally in sacks allowed (1.67) and was a Joe Moore Award semifinalist for a second year in a row. The award is given to the most outstanding offensive line in the country.
Torrence does have somewhat of a connection to Clemson in being coached by former Tigers offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Billy Napier while at Louisiana. Napier left to become Florida’s head coach last month, though.
Torrence currently holds other scholarship offers from Michigan State, Ole Miss and Auburn.
Swinney’s previous stance has been to recruit — and develop — high school talent. With Clemson now looking around the transfer portal, here are three other positions worth exploring:
Wide receiver
Redshirt junior Justyn Ross was the Tigers’ most experienced wide receiver and he’ll be going to the NFL Draft. Clemson also lost fellow wideouts Ajou Ajou and Frank Ladson to the transfer portal. Ajou committed to South Florida, while Ladson has yet to land anywhere.
That now leaves junior Joseph Ngata as the elder statesman of the wide receiver room. He missed five games this season due to either COVID-19 protocol or an injury but still managed to be the team’s second-leading receiver behind Ross with 438 yards on 23 receptions with a touchdown. Sophomore E.J. Williams, too, struggled to stay healthy and missed five games, including the Cheez-It Bowl due to being in COVID-19 protocol.
Freshmen Beaux Collins and Dacari Collins got tons of experience this season as the “next men up” while fellow newcomer Troy Stellato’s progression came at a slower pace. The Tigers also signed two wide receivers in Adam Randall and Antonio Williams from the Class of 2022, adding depth to the position.
While the numbers are good, it wouldn’t hurt to bring in a veteran. According to 247Sports’ database, there are currently over 40 receivers in the transfer portal, including former LSU junior Trey Palmer. The former four-star, listed at 6-foot-1, 187 pounds, was the team’s fourth-leading receiver with 30 catches for 344 yards and three scores. Coming out of high school, he was Louisiana’s sixth-ranked athlete and the nation’s No. 18 wide receiver from the Class of 2019.
Running back
The irony of Clemson possibly going to the transfer portal for a running back, while needed, is that the Tigers had two leave for the portal this season in Lyn-J Dixon and Michel Dukes, now at West Virginia and South Florida, respectively. They’ll also lose sixth-year senior Darien Rencher, who’s out of eligibility.
The need for a running back isn’t so much about productivity — the youthful Kobe Pace, Will Shipley and Phil Mafah have that covered — as much as it is about depth. When the season ended, Clemson essentially only had Shipley, Pace and Mafah to play, although Ty Lucas did see some playing time in the backfield.
Much like every other position, the portal offers plenty of options at running back. One of the most experienced players available is former UCF Knight Bentavious Thompson, who has one year of eligibility left. The former three-star athlete from Miami didn’t play this season, but averaged 5.2 yards per carry and 42.4 yards per game for a total of 382 yards and five touchdowns in 2020.
There’s also junior running back Hassan Hall, who left Louisville’s program for the portal in November. Hall, a former three-star athlete from Atlanta, recorded 272 yards and a TD on 38 carries in nine games played for an average of 7.2 yards per touch in 2021.
Cornerback
Clemson will lose senior Mario Goodrich to graduation and most likely junior Andrew Booth to the NFL Draft as a projected first-round pick. Sheridan Jones will be back after a solid performance backing up Booth. He accumulated 23 tackles and an interception over 13 games played, which included three starts. Younger players like Malcolm Greene and Nate Wiggins also helped contribute, appearing in 11 games each with 13 and 3 tackles, respectively.
While four-star Class of 2022 signees Toriano Pride and Jeadyn Lukus are getting adjusted, it wouldn’t hurt to bring in another defensive back who’s seen time on the field at the collegiate level. The options within the portal aren’t as good as with some of those at the other positions.
At the same time, many of the players are coming from Power 5 conference programs like Dreshun Miller, who would be on his third school after stints at Auburn and West Virginia, Devin Bush (Arkansas) and Dreyden Norwood (Texas A&M). All three are former four-star recruits with at least one year of eligibility left.
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 3:18 PM.
