By Matthew SchmidtShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Clemson Tigers have been one of the most disappointing teams in college football this season. Yes, they have qualified for a bowl game, but given that they entered the campaign with College Football Playoff aspirations and hopes of competing for a national championship, it's a hollow victory.
Clemson is just 6-5 entering its rivalry matchup with the South Carolina Gamecocks in its regular-season finale this Sunday. Win or lose, it will mark the Tigers' worst year since going 6-7 during Dabo Swinney's second season in 2010.
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While Swinney will probably end up staying, major changes are expecting along the coaching staff, and it apparently runs even deeper than that for Clemson.
Robert MacRae of The Clemson Insider has reported that the Tigers are also preparing to lose some key players via the transfer portal.
"As you already know, former Clemson corner Shelton Lewis has already left the team and plans to enter the transfer portal on Jan. 2. We can tell you he will not be the only one," MacRae wrote. "Clemson is expecting several current players to follow Lewis’ lead. Some of those names might surprise you."
...MacRae didn't go into detail about which players could potentially depart the Tigers, but the fact that they could possibly lose numerous important names is not a great sign for the team going forward.
Yes, Swinney can always utilize the portal himself (even though he has largely been against that in the past), and the Clemson program does carry quite a bit of cachet. But perhaps it's losing some if its luster in this new NI L era?
Heading into 2025, the Tigers have rattled off double-digit wins in 13 of their last 14 seasons, a truly remarkable feat. They also won two national titles between the 2016-17 and 2018-19 campaigns.
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However, from 2012 through 2020, Clemson had only lost more than two games in a single year twice. But now, 2025 marks the fifth straight season of three-plus losses, and the third consecutive campaign of four or more.
The Clemson program definitely does not appear to be as dominant as it once was, and that could spell bad news for Swinney moving forward.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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