MONDAY INSIDER

From THE TIGER FAN SHOP: More marked down officially-licensed Clemson apparel and gear! Visit The Tiger Fan Shop HERE!

1. Well, at least we don't have to talk about lacking space for this recruiting class anymore.

Clemson held its Senior Day recognitions Saturday for its final home game, a resounding 48-27 triumph against No. 10 Wake Forest.

Justyn Ross and Xavier Thomas were always sort of penciled in as expected departures as far as scholarship planning was concerned.

But the list of honorees included quite a few players with remaining eligibility who either were thought on the fence or qualified as uncertainties.

Darnell Jefferies, Tayquon Johnson, Jaelyn Lay and Jake Venables are now coming off the books, Dabo Swinney has confirmed. Mario Goodrich is leaning toward pursuing a pro career, while K.J. Henry's return is in question. Braden Galloway hasn't been publicly addressed.

Clemson closed the summer in late July with 12 commitments and has added only one more since in legacy tight end Josh Sapp.

At that time, the Tigers had about as many outgoings as incomings, meaning subsequent attrition would create the vacancies for additional commitments.

But Clemson has lost three players to the portal who factored in next season's math -- Joseph Charleston, Paul Tchio and Mikey Dukes -- and based on rotation patterns and snap counts, here's guessing there will be a few more to come.

So add up these new departures with the transfers and the probable ones to come, and the Tigers have a good number of scholarships to fill to reach the 85 count next fall.

They have irons in the fire for a receiver and a running back, are the frontrunner for a new late linebacker offer and are believed likely to push for a late-rising defensive tackle we unveiled in last week's edition.

That won't bring Clemson back to capacity. But also keep in mind that the Tigers are likely to put a new snapper on scholarship in the spring, and we've subtly suggested for months that Saraland (Ala.) walk-on punter pledge Jackson Smith could be put on scholarship.

Clemson is then left with several scholarships to play with in the transfer portal, which is the direction so many outsiders have been screaming for them to go. And if you've listened to Swinney's words and tone in recent weeks, he has foreshadowed that inevitability this offseason.

To that end, we have reported the Tigers have broached bringing in at least two more offensive linemen this offseason, for example.

So Clemson has wiggle room, pocket money, for this class. But this late in the cycle, there's only so much out there worth their time. So as they've shown in high school recruiting, their natural inclination figures to be being deliberate and patient with those scholarships in order to see what the portal market yields.

Maybe the coaching carousel over the next couple of weeks makes an attractive high schooler available. Maybe the portal flood set to come at regular season's end brings names, or maybe you keep a couple of scholarships stashed for the transfers who hit free agency in spring or summer.

Point being, Clemson isn't going to catch up with the math in the coming few weeks.

But our sense is that the high volume of unexpected turnover did get Swinney's attention this fall, and our understanding is that Swinney has concluded that the increased transiency must be factored into roster and scholarship planning for the future.

2. If we want to start connecting dots on adjustments or tweaks to recruiting strategy, the second-biggest development of the weekend might be a place to start.

Clemson dispensed its second 2023 quarterback offer Saturday, pulling the trigger for Birmingham (Ala.) Briarwood Christian's Christopher Vizzina.