“Divine Timing: Swinney Remains Confident as He considers Gifted Sensation C. J. Spiller a Transformational Recruit!”

CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney regards C.J. Spiller as a game-changing recruit.

Spiller was the first five-star player Swinney brought to Clemson and had the option to leave for the NFL early but chose to stay for the 2009 season, Swinney’s inaugural year as the Tigers’ full-time head coach.

As Spiller prepares to be inducted into Clemson’s Ring of Honor before the Virginia game on October 19, Swinney reflects on how his coaching journey and the two national championships may not have been possible without Spiller’s contributions.

On October 15, Swinney addressed a different question: If name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals had been part of recruiting in the mid-2000s, would a standout player like Spiller have chosen Clemson?

“Who knows? There are countless hypotheticals to consider,” Swinney said. “But I believe C.J. was destined to come to Clemson, and what God intends, nothing can prevent.”

Swinney’s reflections come a day after Clemson’s 2025 quarterback commit, Blake Hebert, switched his commitment to Notre Dame.

This marked the Tigers’ fourth decommitment in the class, joining highly regarded defensive linemen Bryce Davis and Isaiah Campbell, who both withdrew in August and September.

Swinney has downplayed concerns about the Tigers losing recruits, particularly due to an NIL budget that is smaller compared to other top programs. However, he mentioned that a future revenue-sharing model could “level the playing field” for Clemson, allowing the athletic department to pay athletes directly from its budget instead of relying on donations to collectives for NIL requirements.

He integrated this perspective into his thoughts about recruiting.

“Maybe the last couple of years have been tougher as you’ve had to rely on raising NIL funds, which is challenging,” Swinney commented. “But the revenue sharing will be a game changer.”

It’s unclear how much NIL influenced Hebert’s decision to switch, although his commitment graphic to Notre Dame featured images of gold bars. Davis shifted his commitment to Duke, while Campbell is considering North Carolina and Tennessee.

The Volunteers, known for their strong NIL resources, recently secured five-star offensive tackle David Sanders Jr., a long-time target for Clemson.

“Recruiting can be unpredictable and change in an instant, but I try not to get too emotional about it since I’ve been doing this for a long time,” Swinney stated during his radio show on October 14.

He acknowledged that recruiting has become more “transactional.” Still, Clemson emphasizes building relationships.

“Some of the decommitments that disappointed me ended up being the best thing for us. And sometimes the players we ended up with were the best outcomes from not getting someone else,” Swinney said. “God will bring the right players to us, and that’s always been my perspective.”

Clemson coaches, staff, and recruits have been sharing a meme on social media following the decisions of some prospects to commit to other schools. The meme depicts a forked path where a crowd of people moves to the left, while a lone figure heads right towards the Tiger Paw logo.

Decommits have become increasingly common for Clemson in recent recruiting cycles, though some factors have contributed to this trend.

In 2021, the Tigers lost both of their coordinators to head coaching positions—Tony Elliott went to Virginia and Brent Venables to Oklahoma—leading several recruits to look elsewhere. Three defenders from IMG Academy, cornerback Daylen Everette (Georgia), safety Keon Sabb (initially committed to Michigan, later transferred to Alabama), and linebacker Jihaad Campbell (Alabama), switched schools. Additionally, Venables took linebacker Jaren Kanak with him to Oklahoma.

The following year, Clemson lost its first commit, receiver Nathaniel Joseph, to Miami, but managed to secure commitments from Misun “Tink” Kelley of Daniel High and Tyler Brown from Greenville later in the cycle.

Clemson’s 2024 class remained stable throughout, but the 2025 cycle has been more challenging. Offensive lineman Jaylan Beckley committed in January but decommitted just over a month later, opting to stay closer to home by choosing Oklahoma State.

The departures of Davis, Campbell, and Hebert have reduced Clemson’s class to just 13 recruits with less than two months before the early signing period starts on December 4. It remains uncertain how many more players Coach Swinney will need to bring in.

While the NCAA is set to expand scholarship limits from 85 to 105 due to antitrust lawsuit settlements, coaches cannot exceed current limits until July. This means the roster will be capped at 105 total players, requiring the reduction of 15 from the existing 120, including walk-ons.

Clemson has only 12 seniors graduating, so there’s not much room for additional players, whether on scholarship or not.

“Want me to sign 30? Who should I tell to leave? You can call their parents,” Swinney joked when asked how many recruits Clemson needed for 2025. “We’re in a good position, just like any other year.”

However, Clemson has fallen behind in quarterback recruiting. Typically, the program adds one quarterback per year, but they opted not to take one in 2024, instead relying on walk-on Trent Pearman and student coach Paul Tyson as backups to Cade Klubnik and Christopher Vizzina.

Swinney noted that Vizzina was aware that the Tigers wouldn’t be taking a QB in 2024.

“We worked hard to secure CV, and that was part of the plan,” Swinney said.

Swinney feels optimistic about the Tigers’ quarterback situation with Klubnik, Vizzina, and Pearman for 2025, especially with Tait Reynolds and Brock Bradley joining in 2026. However, he wants to bring in another quarterback—either from high school or as a transfer—to succeed Hebert in ’25.

“Is it going to be someone like Paul Tyson, or a high school recruit? I’m not sure. We’ll see,” Swinney stated. “The key is to maintain three quarterbacks; that’s where it all begins.”

Swinney doesn’t appear overly concerned about Clemson’s recent decommitments, noting that recruits are simply making the choices they believe are “best for them.”

Despite that, he remains confident that Clemson can be an excellent choice for the next Spiller, particularly with future revenue sharing on the horizon.

“We have a solid roster, with only 12 scholarship seniors, and four of them could return. We always plan for a bit of turnover,” Swinney said. “We’re in a good position now, and things are looking even better moving forward.”