I think without NIL and the Portal, Clemson still has a very strong program, imo. Swinney shot his foot off by being unwilling to take in transfers and offer much in NIL. He's basically made himself fight battles with one arm tied behind his back. There was a time where Clemson raided GA, and had NC and SC locked down. When their NIL offer is the least of almost any major program, you see why they're losing players left and right.
I say sanctimonious because Swinney knows what he needs, but refuses to change. He can still target talent in the holes he needs, but he can no longer land those 4 and 5stars. For '25 and '26 alone Clemson has been out recruited by: UNC, Rutgers, Duke, Nebraska, Free Shoes and Wisconsin just to name a few. I don't think a HC who was considered top 3 in the sport at one time, now all of the sudden doesn't know how to build a roster. His refusal to change with the times, because he wants to play like he has a higher morality is the main reason why this decline was so inevitable.
