At a time when the majority of elite college football teams generally view the Transfer Portal as a high-stakes NFL free agency, Dabo Swinney is betting to some degree on the “homegrown” method. That the 2026 season will be about more than if Christopher Vizzina can play is another matter entirely, said ESPN analyst Greg McElroy, who believes it’s a referendum on the Clemson way of life. McElroy emphasized the Tigers as the most interesting “philosophical case study” in his Always College Football podcast.
The "Homegrown" vs. The Portal
The narrative is plain in Clemson — rivals like LSU (Sam Leavitt) and Miami (Darian Mensah) have entered “shopping” seasons with veteran starters for their roster, but Swinney is looking towards the pipeline.