What’s Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney’s motto in life? To shoot for the stars. If he misses his chance of hitting it, he will at least land on the moon. Moving into the 2025 season, Swinney is feeding his boys some motivational juice. For instance, in an interview, the Clemson head coach shared, “I do believe we can be the first 16-0 team. We were the first 15-0 team, so why would I not believe that?” 

For this year’s Tigers to achieve a feat last seen since Yale in 1984, they must overcome No. 9 LSU on Aug. 30. This year marks Clemson and co.’s second consecutive season opening against an SEC opponent. Swinney’s boys are yet not over their 34-3 loss to Kirby Smart’s Georgia last season. So, Swinney is now boosting his player who made a big sacrifice. That’s none other than Adam Randall. 

After not having quite the career many had envisioned over his first three seasons as a wide receiver, Randall knew he had to switch. Short on bodies at the position, Swinney moved him to running back just ahead of its matchup at Texas in 2024. And this definitely would not have been a cakewalk for Randall. Swinney then narrated the whole conversation he had with his star on the August 20th episode of the Gramlich & Mac Lain podcast. He shared, “I told Adam after we had our playoff thing, I just met with him and I said, ‘Look, what’s the best thing you do as a football player?’ I asked him.”

Swinney continued, “And he said, ‘Run with the ball.’ And I said, ‘Ding, ding, ding,'” followed by a 4-word reassurance, “That’s what you do.” Right now, Randall is projected to be the No. 1 back after consistently working with the first-team offense throughout the preseason. Looks like Swinney is yet to deem Jay Haynes fit after he tore his ACL early in the ACC Championship Game. On the other hand, Jarvis Green, too, is suffering an injury, so Swinney now sees Randall as his RB1. After all, he has proved himself to the head coach.  

During Clemson’s first-round College Football Playoff matchup against Texas, the newly turned running back lived up to Swinney’s expectations. He came off as a dominant force in the backfield, recording a career-high four carries for 44 yards. Just when the Tigers needed that push, the junior broke out for a 41-yard carry, proving his worth in the Tigers’ backfield.

Now, Randall knows how the present paid off for the challenge he took. As Swinney reminisced about the past, “And I said, ‘So, what would you think about staying through the spring, and let’s transition to running back? Let’s rebrand you, and then if you if it’s not, you can leave in May and I’ll help you. I’ll do everything I can to help you get in the right spot.’” That’s how the head coach proved that a little bit of support and reassurance goes a long way. After all, Swinney himself has big heights to reach and needs his boys to be on the same page.   

Dabo Swinney’s unfinished business at Clemson 

It has been a long time since Swinney has held the head coaching seat at Clemson since October 2008. His last contract extension came in September 2022, where he unlocked a 10-year deal worth $115 million. They are now carrying the burden of seven years of Natty drought. Though said in half-jest, Josh Pate is now painting a colorful picture for Swinney. 

On the See Ball Get Ball podcast with David Pollack, the analyst is already manifesting a dream-come-true moment for Swinney. He said, “Right on the national championship stage, confetti still raining down. You just say, thank you, good night, and throw that thing and just walk down a tunnel. And that’s the last we ever see of Dabo Swinney.” The head coach has partially proved his powers by bringing home the ACC title. Not just Pate, Swinney himself is hungry for it. As he once said in an interview, “I’m still hungry for what I know this program has… I came to Clemson to win a national championship. That’s still right here for me.”

That’s how Dabo Swinney is in no mood to settle for anything less than the best. He keeps his quarterback Cade Klubnik on his toes. After their first scrimmage, the head coach shared, “I mean, he [Klubnik] wasn’t terrible. I know everybody was like, ‘Oh my god’, I say one critical thing. He’s had a really good spring. I didn’t think he was as sharp as he needed to be in that first scrimmage.” Let’s see how Clemson’s weapons, like Klubnik and Adam Randall, keep up with Swinney’s expected pace.