CLEMSON -- For years Dabo Swinney has worn this old beat-up, sweat-stained hat to practices.
It's different from the fresh, crispy new one he wears to games, and maybe the old one is a reminder to him (and from him) that as much as everything around him has changed over the years -- better office, better meeting rooms, better salary -- he's still the same scrapping underdog from Pelham, Ala.
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And maybe Wednesday was an uplifting reminder to Clemson fans that as much is changing across college football with startling velocity, the foundation of past greatness here is still very much apparent.
In just two years NIL and the transfer portal have totally changed the game of talent procurement and talent retention.
At times it has seemed not totally unreasonable to wonder if Clemson can survive if it doesn't totally wrap its arms around these new realities.
Guess you could say the jury is still out because this thing is still in its infancy.
But you could also say the available evidence suggests Swinney's program will not just survive, but continue to thrive.
The existence of a drama-free signing day was a sight for eyes sore from watching the unexpected turns elsewhere.
It's entertaining from a distance when you see Dan Lanning pull off some last minute magic courtesy of the Swoosh. For those of us who appreciate disruptors, it's also been fun to see Coach Prime shaking things up at Colorado.
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But then you take a look around and see that there just aren't that many places out there who were able to experience what Clemson showcased yesterday.
In the four days preceding early signing day, two close friends who are Clemson fans expressed two different sentiments.
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One was a fear that Peter Woods would be snatched away at the last minute by an offer he couldn't refuse.
The other was the hunch that a few guys supposedly headed to the NFL would do something reminiscent of 2018 when Christian Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Austin Bryant all decided to stay.
We sort of scoffed at both ideas, and the second notion popped back into our head yesterday when the head coach made it a major topic of his press conference.
It would indeed be quite the story if this defensive front welcomed back Bryan Bresee, Tyler Davis and Xavier Thomas. We're not predicting it, but at this point it doesn't sound crazy to talk about. And our feeling would lean toward the latter two returning, while we still don't have a great feel for Bresee.
As for who else, who knows?
Some real talk here: A love for Clemson, a desire to finish the job, wasn't the sole reason the three Power Rangers returned in 2018. They also wanted to enhance their draft stock, and that's unquestionably a key part of the thought process for the current guys as well.
But at how many other places are guys in similar situations on a rush out the door? Listening more to the wrong people in their ears rather than the people who have their best interests at heart? Long gone by this point?
So much of the focus nowadays is on allegedly life-changing money, allegedly stature-changing transfers.
Swinney is doubling down on the idea that there's still something appealing and meaningful in life-changing culture.
Culture that includes not just advancement on the field but long-term preparation for life. In Swinney's world things like degrees and post-football job placement still matter. Clemson's record is sparkling on those counts, and the evidence suggests those counts are still important to recruits and their families, too.
So many forces out there are pushing players toward a transactional existence. If the coaches are making $10 million a year, get what's yours and find somewhere else to go if you're not starting right away.
Every player and every coach has the right to decide whatever he pleases, whether it's going to the highest bidder or building a procurement and retention model on doing the bidding.
Swinney chooses a different path. A path that seemed perilous a couple years ago at the start of all this, but one that's hard to argue with at the moment.
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Talented players still want to come here, and they still want to stay here.
As much as things around us change, the formula stays largely the same.
Kind of like that old sweat-stained hat he wears to practice.
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