Clemson Tigers Head Coach Dabo Swinney Believes Program Is Rising

Dabo Swinney believes the Clemson Tigers are on the rise.

Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney motions to his team during the second half of the game against the Texas Longhorns in the CFP National Playoff first round game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Clemson Tigers might not have won in the first-round of the College Football Playoff, but the future is bright for the program. 

It was a strong campaign in 2024 for the Tigers. Winning 10 games, an ACC Title, and securing a spot in the CFP is certianly a successful season. Unfortunately, their matchup against the Texas Longhorns was an extremely difficult one against one of the best teams in college football. 

While Clemson might have lost the game, there were a lot of positive takeaways for the program. 

Going against one of the best defenses in the country, the Tigers were able to score 24 points, while pretty much being one-dimensional. With Phil Mafah being unable to go anymore after trying to suit up with an injury, Clemson pretty much knew it was going to be throwing the ball for most of the day. 

Against the best secondary in the nation, that is no easy task. However, Cade Klubnik threw for 336 yards with three passing touchdowns in a really impressive showing. 

While it might not have been enough to beat Texas, head coach Dabo Swinney believes that 2024 could springboard them into greatness next season. 

“We will build on this,” Swinney said to Jason Priester of Clemson Insider. “It’s a great experience for our guys. They know they’re good enough. Most of our team is back. This will be just another step in the direction that we want to go to get back to the top of the mountain,” Swinney said. “You’ve got to put yourself in position. We did that. You’ve got to learn and grow, we’ll do that. The example that was set by these seniors, again listening to them all year, all year reading their comments, it’s been amazing. I promise you, the example that they set for these guys coming back, it will not be wasted. Those guys will build upon that. I’ve already seen that in the locker room.”

With a lot of potential players returning next season, the future is certainly looking bright for the Tigers. However, due to the success of players like Klubnik and Antonio Williams this season, they could decide to head to the NFL. 

If Swinney is able to keep most of his draft-eligible players in school for another year, 2025 could be an excellent season. 

With a full complement of weapons on offense, the Tigers could have one of the best units in the country, led by one of the best quarterbacks. If that ends up being the case, Clemson could be title contenders once again.