Former Clemson OL Eric Mac Lain Speaks on Dabo Swinney's Role in New Offense

The Clemson player with the most wins in program history, now an ACC Network analyst, is optimistic about the Tigers with new offensive coordinator Chad Morris.

ACC Network analyst Eric Mac Lain spoke about the trajectory of Clemson's offense after the new hire of Chad Morris. | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

For those who didn’t watch the Chad Morris era of offense in his first tenure, take it from former Clemson Tiger Eric Mac Lain. 

The great leader on the offensive line was a part of every season under Morris from 2011-14, playing in Clemson’s first of four national championships over the next five years. Now an ACC Network analyst, he brings an exclusive lens from the Tigers’ program. 

When asked about Morris and his outlook for the offense on ACC Huddle on Thursday, Mac Lain said that not only will the offense change, but head coach Dabo Swinney’s role will change. 

It could also be a more comfortable spot for him to be in for 2026.

“I’ll say, primarily, coach Dabo Swinney,” Mac Lain said. “He had said it in interviews, he and I have had private conversations and talked about it.”

While hiring in-house with hires after Morris, like Tony Elliott and Brandon Streeter, bringing in Garrett Riley in the winter of 2023 was a different hire than before. A Broyles Award winner with TCU and a national championship appearance, Swinney thought that he would bring the Tiger offense to a new level once again. 

When the offense crashed and burned during the 2025 season, Mac Lain saw that there was a barrier that was preventing the rhythm. Most likely, it was the language that Swinney had with the in-house hires compared to the Riley hire, which came from outside the program. 

“For those three years, it’s almost like, ‘here’s the play,’ he has to translate it in his head, ‘okay, this is what we’re doing,’” Mac Lain said. “Where, now, this is the Clemson offense, and you brought the architect back.”

Back during Morris’s introductory press conference in January, Swinney knew that he went with the “popular pick” in Riley. Now, he’s going back to the basics, and the belief that if it works once, it can work again. 

Mac Lain believes that the Clemson head coach put himself back in the role he’s best at when Morris is calling plays. 

“He gets to be the CEO,” the ACC Network analyst said. “Do what he is best at, manage this team from that standpoint.”

Just take it from the winningest player in Clemson history, going 46-7 as a Tiger over his five-year career that featured a redshirt. He will look forward to how that translates to this season, especially with the changes in NIL and how they have levelled the playing field across the conference. 

“What does that equate to? What does that equal to? Is that 12 wins? Is that a national championship? Is that 40 points a game?” Mac Lain said. “I don’t know, but it will be something positive.”