CLEMSON -- The hottest portal-related topic that relates to Clemson is, of course and by far, whether Dabo Swinney will dip into it this offseason.

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Given that he has already said the staff is "very actively" looking for an offensive lineman, it won't be a big news event if and when that happens.

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The more sneaky-interesting topic pertaining to the portal is whether Clemson can avoid defections between now and the May 1st deadline.

A bold-faced disclaimer: We're not saying we've picked up information that a player or players are or even considering transferring. Let's get that clear.

What we are saying: Here on April 5 in 2022, it'd be foolish to dismiss the topic as something not worthy of even being discussed.

"I don't anticipate anything," Swinney said last week. "But things change on any day that ends in Y."

Starting last Thursday, Swinney began his individual player meetings for his current 109-man roster. Those meetings will stretch into May, but the brunt of them will be complete by the deadline for players to make a transfer decision while preserving eligibility to play in 2022.

Clemson has not been immune to transfer culture. What brought shockwaves in the fall of 2018 -- Kelly Bryant abruptly opting to transfer as a graduate after being displaced by Trevor Lawrence -- is now commonplace across all classes.

That said, Swinney and Clemson can still point to portal defections in recent years sharing the common thread of not being starter-level players. While some might point to Derion Kendrick's transfer to Georgia, the reality was Kendrick did not have an opportunity to remain at Clemson after Swinney decided his list of missteps was too long to keep him on the team.