Clemson wrapped its 2025 regular season with a 7-5 record, marking the second-worst under coach Dabo Swinney. It wasn’t the result expected from the program that’s believed to be the ACC favorite and a playoff contender. While multiple players have announced their intentions to enter the transfer portal, Tayler Venables reiterated his belief in Swinney

“Coach Swinney is an unbelievable leader,” said Tyler Venables in the December 25 interview with Clemson Tiger Net. “He’s an incredible moulder of men. I’ve got all the faith in the world that he’s going to ride the ship next year. [Program is in good shape] Yeah, I think so. You’re going to have some setbacks when you zoom out. Obviously, when you’re locked into it year to year, it’s like, ‘okay, maybe we didn’t do this good or this this good’. But when you zoom out, and you see Coach Swinney’s track record and the alignment that we have here, it’s really trending in the right direction.

I’m not just saying that. I really believe that. You’re going to have setbacks. You’re going to have years that don’t exactly go the way that you want. But we still have an opportunity to reach eight wins. I can’t really think off the top of my head of the number of programs that have had the amount of success that we’ve had for so long here.”

Tyler has experienced the ups and downs alongside Swinney over the last six seasons. In 2023, Clemson went 9-4, finishing 6th in the ACC, but the next year, they bounced back to become the ACC champions. It all happened because he trusted Swinney’s journey to the point of even ignoring the opportunity to move to Oklahoma after his father, Brent Venables, was hired as the new head coach.

If you take a look at Dabo Swinney‘s history with the Clemson Tigers, he is known to have overcome adversity at an early age. Swinney’s first season went 4-3, but the next season, he brought Clemson to the ACC championship. Swinney had his career low with the Tigers in his third season, finishing 6-7, but led the program to win the national championship the next year.

Swinney has a record of 187-52 in his eighteen seasons with Clemson, carrying the program to two national championships and nine ACC championships. This proves that setbacks are a part of their longer journey, and one wrong season cannot determine the future of Clemson.

Although Tyler made a case for the status quo to resume, despite having finished his eligibility, it still appears to be damage control, as multiple players had already made their decision to enter the transfer portal.

Multiple Clemson Tigers players to enter the portal

Clemson’s 7-5 season has already prompted some of the top stars in the locker room to announce their intentions to transfer to the portal. The Tigers’ defense was the worst affected, as two linebackers and two safeties intend to enter the portal, while only one from the offense leaves the roster.

The first to announce his intention to transfer was linebacker Jamal Anderson. He played 31 games and started two, posting 16 tackles and one sack. He redshirted mid-season, playing in four games after a poor stretch, and will now search for a new home with two years of eligibility remaining. Dee Crayton, who also played for three seasons for the Tigers, will enter the portal with two years of eligibility. He played in 30 games as a backup and has 29 tackles.

In the secondary, Safety Khalil Barnes and Shelton Lewis will be leaving for the portal. Both spent the last three seasons with the program and now have two years of eligibility remaining. Khalil played 37 games for the Tigers, in which he started 30 games and recorded 139 tackles, three forced fumbles, 18 pass deflections, and seven interceptions. On the other hand, Lewis appeared in four games and recorded seven tackles and one pass deflection before announcing his redshirt after four games.

Top Stories

Sean Payton Announces Retirement Plans as Broncos HC Demands Improvement From Bo Nix & Co. Before Playoffs

Greg Biffle’s $4M Worth Prized Possession Still Without a Buyer Leaves NASCAR Fans Heartbroken

LIV Golf Braces for Another Possible Exit in Wake of Brooks Koepka Departure

Biff Poggi All But Confirms Bryce Underwood’s Michigan Future After Announcing His Own Departure

Roger Federer Draws Criticism from Swiss Government Chief for Tourism Boom in Country

NASCAR World Mourns as Former Watkins Glen President Michael Printup Passes Away at 60