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Clemson reloading, not rebuilding for a fresh 2021 season

No shortage of talent for the Tigers any time soon

Clemson coach Dabo Swinniey addresses the media at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, North Carolina (WSLS)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The undeniable behemoth of the ACC is still Clemson. The 6-time reigning and defending ACC Champs sport six straight tickets to the College Football Playoff, a pair of National titles and a head coach who speaks his mind.

“My opinion — it doesn’t mean anything because that train has left the station,” Swinney said Thursday afternoon at the ACC Kickoff. “I think sitting around and talking about what this coach thinks or that coach thinks is a waste of time. At this point, I think expansion of the playoffs is inevitable. I think the conversation needs to be how do we get it right for the player,” said Swinney.

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Swinney will be replacing one generational quarterback talent with what appears to be another. D.J. Uiagaleilei subbed in for Trevor Lawrence a year ago and was outstanding. The Tigers don’t rebuild — they reload.

D.J. Uiagaleilei ready to take the reigns as the fulltime quarterback for Clemson (WSLS)

“To do this in college is a huge achievement because in college you lose people to the draft of the transfer portal now,” said Uiagaleilei. “But each and every year we just keep loading back up and just keep coming out on top.”

“We lose two first-rounders in the backfield and nobody’s worried and everybody’s excited about that the new guy,” said Clemson offensive lineman Matt Bockhorst. “So, I think it’s very indicative of where we are as a program and it says a lot about our recruiting but also about our development.”

We will know plenty more about the 2021 version of the Tigers right out of the shoot when they battle SEC big dog Georgia on Sept. 4 in Charlotte.


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About the Author
John Appicello headshot

John serves as an anchor at WSLS 10. He has a long and distinguished career in commercial television sportcasting that spans seven stations.