What's Next for Swinney, Clemson? Roster Management
Following Friday's 49-28 loss to Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl that ended Clemson's season and College Football Playoff run, Dabo Swinney congratulated the opponent, applauded his team for navigating a season ruled by a pandemic with a 10-2 record and offered hope that his program would get better in defeat.
The Clemson head coach also revealed how the offseason will begin.
"We start school on Wednesday," Swinney said. "Our guys, we'll have to give them a little time off here. They've been going for a while. It's going to hurt for a while, but we'll get back at it. And we've got a bunch of midyears moving in on Sunday.
"We've got our banquet on the 16th, and I look forward to honoring this group of seniors in the right way, when that time comes and then, reset, get our eyes focused on spring practice, and getting back in the fight and going back to work."
And there's a lot of work to do. The Tigers didn't end the season the way they wanted to, and what the 2021 season will look likes very much remains to be seen. That's because there are many players with decisions to be made.
The NCAA granting all college football student-athletes an extra year of eligibility is great for those who take advantage of it, but it's also going to be a headache for coaches when it comes to roster management.
What Swinney and his staff likely know right now is that star quarterback Trevor Lawrence and all-time leading rusher Travis Etienne are heading to the NFL. Junior cornerback Derion Kendrick, junior left tackle Jackson Carman and leading receiver Amari Rodgers could both hear their names called in the first three rounds of the NFL draft, which might be too good to pass up.
Receiver Cornell Powell saw his draft stock rise from pretty much nothing to a Senior Bowl invite with his strong 2020 campaign, so it's unlikely that a player who just finished his fifth year of college would return for a sixth season.
While linebacker Baylon Spector said last week he plans on returning to school, senior linebacker Jamie Skalski's decision to turn pro or hang out for a sixth season is unknown and will certainly shape the defensive plan.
The offensive coaches are holding their breath on more information from Justyn Ross, a high-caliber receiver who missed all of 2020 after having surgery to repair congenital fusion in his neck. While Swinney believes the long-term prognosis on Ross' career is good, he still hasn't been cleared by doctors and will either take his chances in the NFL draft or return to Clemson. His health is the major factor, and an exact timeline on his status isn't known.
Some other key pieces who could return to Clemson include running back Lyn-J Dixon, who didn't have a stellar junior season, and senior defensive end Justin Foster, who missed all of 2020 with an undisclosed medical issue. It's hard to see junior defensive end Xavier Thomas returning as he didn't travel with the team the last two games for reasons unknown.
Other draft-eligible players and upperclassmen to keep an eye on include guard Matt Bockhorst, safety Nolan Turner, cornerback Mario Goodrich, defensive tackle Nyles Pinckney, defensive end K.J. Henry, defensive tackle Jordan Williams and linebacker Mike Jones Jr.
Punter Will Spiers is a key cog as well. The senior is coming off the best season of his career and would take care of any concerns at the position if he returns to school.
Also, the NCAA transfer portal and the likely ability to play right away is quite desirable these days. Could Clemson have some players, especially seniors who might not have much playing time coming next season, head to other schools and play immediately? It's quite likely. And keep an eye on Clemson's QB room. While Lawrence will turn things over to D.J. Uiagalelei, could Taisun Phommachanh look to take his talents elsewhere?
Another factor in these decisions is an extremely talented recruiting class. Heralded recruits like offensive lineman Tristan Leigh, linebackers Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and running backs Will Shipley and Phil Mahfa will challenge for playing time right away.
Swinney and staff have a lot of talent to utilize during the developmental stage of the offseason, but what the 2021 roster ultimately looks like will begin to take place shortly. NFL draft decisions have to be made by Jan. 18.
