Dabo Swinney’s name has become synonymous with two things in recent years: building Clemson into a national powerhouse — and refusing to lean on the transfer portal the way most of his peers do.
That second part has drawn more heat than praise, with critics pointing to Clemson’s occasional step back in the national spotlight as proof that Swinney’s philosophy is outdated.
But when Swinney spoke this week at the ACC coaches meetings in Amelia Island, Florida, his comments on ACC PM once again cut to the heart of what people continue to miss: Clemson does use the portal. Just not the way casual fans want them to.
“People get excited about things,” Swinney said. “Nobody would celebrate Hunter Johnson, poor guy. Nobody celebrates Paul Tyson, but that’s what we needed.”
That quote says everything. Swinney isn’t out chasing headlines — he’s filling gaps. Johnson and Tyson, both former high-profile recruits, came in as backup quarterbacks. Not flashy additions, but strategic ones. It’s just that when a program isn’t plucking a superstar starter from the portal every offseason, fans assume the coach is asleep at the wheel.
In truth, Swinney has been remarkably consistent. He’s built Clemson on high school recruiting, development, and culture — and even after a few underwhelming seasons by their standard, he hasn’t flinched. While some see that as stubbornness, Swinney sees it as staying true to a proven formula.
ESPN college football host Matt Barrie says he admires how Swinney has gone about things in this era of the sport, and he believes the Tigers are one of the top teams in the nation.
The Tigers' 2024 season success may have turned the tide in that national media thinking, as evidenced by multiple No. 1 or at least Top 5 preseason rankings this spring.
Clemson’s recent dips aren’t solely about the portal. Offensive staff changes, and untimely injuries have all played a role. But critics continue to pin it all on one thing: the portal, or lack of it.
Maybe it’s time to stop using transfer volume as a scoreboard and start judging coaches on something more meaningful — like whether they’re building their program the way they believe in. Because if that’s the metric, Swinney hasn’t gone anywhere. He’s just not doing it your way. And he never planned to.
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Central Michigan is facing NCAA discipline over their small role in the Connor Stalions sign-stealing scandal. Central Michigan received a formal Notice of Allegations from the NCAA in late June, according to Tony Garcia of the Detroit Free Press. This stems from Stalions’ unexplained appearance on the Chippewa sideline during a Sept. 1, 2023 game against Michigan State. The school has 90 days to formally respond to the NCAA letter. In a statement to John Brice of Football Scoop, the school disputed the receipt of a formal NOI and said it was working toward a negotiated settlement with the NCAA. The Central Michigan portion of the Stalions scandal was a particularly wild one, as the NCAA confirmed that he appeared on the Chippewas’ sideline in disguise during that 2023 game. It remains unclear how Stalions gained access to the sideline, but it was considered part of the in-person sign-stealing ring Stalions is said to have constructed on the Wolverines’ behalf. It is unknown how severe Central Michigan’s punishment might be based on the NCAA’s findings. They will not be nearly as significant as the ones Michigan might face, but the Wolverines have sought to get out ahead of that with some self-imposed punishment.
The World Junior Summer Showcase is in full swing, and Maple Leafs top prospect Ben Danford is shattering expectations, truly proving how good of a player he can be. The Toronto Maple Leafs' defensive prospect, Ben Danford, is among the 44 players who were invited to Hockey Canada's World Juniors Summer Showcase. Hockey Canada finally unveiled the 44 prospects who will head to Minnesota for the showcase, after they held the roster release back while the organization dealt with several injuries, which begins Sunday and runs through August 2 in Minneapolis. Defensive prospect Ben Danford is the only Maple Leafs player invited to the annual showcase, where Canada's World Junior staff will get their first look at what their team might look like for the 2026 World Juniors, which will also take place in Minnesota in December. Danford is being called the best player at the World Juniors Summer Showcase Danford has been exceeding expectations, and one source revealed that he has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase so far. The source said Danford is steady, smart, and hard to ignore on the ice. 'Ben Danford has been the best player at the World Junior Showcase he's steady, smart, and impossible to ignore. Makes every shift count, whether he's breaking up plays or starting the rush. Canada's blue line is in good hands.' - An unnamed source The Maple Leafs selected Danford with their first pick (31st overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft. During his visit to Toronto's development camp earlier this month, the defender revealed that he's receiving mentorship from current Leafs defensemen as well as some alumni like Mark Giordano. The 6-foot-2 Danford could make for an excellent fit for Canada should he make the team. He is responsible in his own end, and he demonstrated leadership capabilities when he was named captain of the Oshawa Generals ahead of the 2024-25 OHL season.
As Trey Hendrickson prepares to end his holdout, it's time for the Cincinnati Bengals to meet their star edge-rusher halfway. On Tuesday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reported that Hendrickson plans to end his holdout amid a prolonged contract dispute by reporting to Bengals camp on Wednesday despite still seeking an extension. "Reporting to camp stops the $50,000 per day fines and also serves as a good-faith gesture to try to jumpstart negotiations," Schefter wrote. Hendrickson is owed $18.7M in 2025. Last season, Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks (17.5). He originally signed a four-year, $60M contract with the Bengals during 2021 free agency and later signed a one-year extension in July 2023 to keep him Cincinnati through 2025. With no guarantees beyond this upcoming season and the edge-rusher market exploding recently, Hendrickson certainly has a valid argument to demand an extension. Meanwhile, Cincinnati has few (if any) good reasons not to reward their best defensive player. Hendrickson, 30, has been one of the league's most prolific pass-rushers since joining the Bengals. Former agent Joel Corry, writing for CBS Sports, brushed aside concerns about a potential drop-off in production while pointing to Pittsburgh Steelers edge T.J. Watt's recent contract extension. As Corry noted, Watt, who became the league's highest-paid non-quarterback when he agreed to a three-year, $123M extension earlier this offseason, is roughly two months older than Hendrickson. "Hendrickson also accounted for 48.6% of Cincinnati's sacks last season while Watt was responsible for 28.8% of Pittburgh's," Corry wrote. On Monday, Schefter shared that the main sticking point in Hendrickson's contract dispute is guaranteed money, with the Bengals hesitant to provide any guarantees beyond 2025 on a potential three-year deal. As productive as Hendrickson has been for the Bengals — his 57 sacks since 2021 only trail Watt and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett — the front office should be doing everything in its power to ensure he finishes his career in Cincy. Hendrickson ending his holdout is the first step to the sides reaching a resolution. The next is the Bengals giving him an extension commensurate to his production.
Frankie Muniz is a Hollywood star who made his way into the world of racing with the NASCAR Truck Series full-time in 2025. Though, the 39-year-old had flirted with one-time outings in various championships in the past. However, Muniz has faced criticism throughout his time racing, for not deserving to have a spot in NASCAR. Now, HMS star Kyle Larson has staunchly defended the American actor. Muniz’s foray into the Truck Series full-time is yet to bear fruit. This season, the No. 33 driver has just managed a single top 10 finish while his average results are below 25th place. While the 39-year-old’s racing campaign remains underwhelming, he is still managing to keep himself on-screen. Frankie Muniz recently shot a mini reunion series for “Malcolm in the Middle,” the Fox sitcom that brought him to spot light in the early 2000s. Traditional NASCAR fans are never happy to see a driver prioritizing something other than racing even during their time away from the field. Such criticism only increases when it’s a Hollywood actor. However, Kyle Larson made it clear that the fact that Frankie Muniz managed to make his way to the Truck Series is proof that he is more than capable of competing in NASCAR. After all, it’s never easy for anyone to get a spot in any of the three championships of the sport unless they truly have what it takes. Anybody racing in any of the three series has talent and ability enough to be there. Kyle Larson said, as quoted by On3. Larson further hinted that the No. 33 truck of Reaume Brothers Racing might not be the best to extract Muniz’s potential. The former Cup champion reckoned that the 39-year-old needs a good truck or car that can allow him to fight for race wins. Moreover, Kyle Larson pointed out that at the end of the day, Frankie Muniz’s success would only do wonders for NASCAR. As his fanbase can really fall in love with the sport. I just hope that he can get into a situation someday where you can really see his talent from being in a car or a truck that is better equipped to go run towards the front. You want to see him succeed because if he does succeed, it’s only going to do good things for our sport. Kyle Larson explained. Frankie Muniz breaks silence on claims of paying for racing career Motorsport is expensive. Teams spend millions of dollars every year just to keep racing. New drivers are often forced to shell out huge sums to find a seat in the field or attract lucrative sponsors. There have been claims that Frankie Muniz has used his Hollywood money to keep funding his Truck career. However, the 39-year-old has now ended such speculation. While the Truck Series is not the top tier of NASCAR, it is still expensive for a small operation like Reaume Brothers Racing. RBR owner Josh Reaume had revealed that a single truck campaign costs upwards of $3.5 million each season. However, Frankie Muniz made it clear that he is not paying a single penny to keep racing. He claimed that this was a promise he made to his wife and thus should be enough to stop any such rumors. I don’t spend any of my money going racing. I made a promise to my wife that I would not do that. So, I can kill that rumor right there. Frankie Muniz told LA Times. Certainly, Frankie Muniz is bound to have haters. The only way for the Hollywood star to stop such comments is to perform on-track. So far, his campaign has been far from impressive. However, Muniz will constantly improve as he continues his full-time campaign in the Truck Series.
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