Tuesday Update IV: What Dabo Swinney said at Tuesday's media outing

This is one of multiple updates today at Tigerillustrated.com from Dabo Swinney's annual media outing.

BECOME A SUBSCRIBER AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.com!

NOTE: Due to time constraints, this is an informal format with notables and quotables as we try to cover as much ground as possible with every Clemson assistant football coach and of course Dabo Swinney.

ALSO SEE: Tuesday Update III | Tuesday Update II | Tuesday Swinney media outing update

Dabo Swinney just finished meeting with the media as he prepares for his 16th full season as head coach, his 22nd season as a coach in Clemson and his 35th in college football.

A few of the more important themes:

-- Biggest thing on offense is making a big jump in Year 2 under Garrett Riley. Had a lot of injuries last season. But the biggest thing is taking a big jump with Cade, and in the totality of the offense.

Cade has taken that next step and that's what you want to see. He had a great spring. We don't put a lot on the spring game, good or bad. We evaluate him on what we've seen each and every day. Even this summer, he's done everything to take the next step to the point. He was a first-year starter and we are just so quick to crucify people if they're not some Johnny All-American when they first step on the field. If that's the standard some of the best quarterbacks would've never happened. Guys get better. If you're made of the right stuff you're going to get better. He has it all. And he's really not that far off. Mentions Bo Nix, and in his first couple years not many people were writing nice things about him.

"But we'll find out real quick in that opener."

- Antonio Williams has been relentless. If I could pick one guy on this team who has transformed and gotten better in every area it's Antonio. Man, he has grown and matured. And who he is today compared to what he was when he got here, it's not even close. I'm really proud of him. He's setting the tone for us in that room this offseason, he and Adam Randall both.

-- They have a lot of experience on OL for the first time in a while.

-- All the WRs are healthy and that competition in the room is going to produce better results, they hope.

-- Shoring up pass defense was a big objective last year and they accomplished that. Hoping to do the same with pass offense this year, and better health and good depth make them confident that's going to happen.

-- Got to get better at FG. That hurt us, especially in the early part of the year.

-- How good can the front seven be this year? That's to be determined. They've got a lot to prove. We had two freshman All-Americans in Woods and Parker. Can they build on that? Neither of them were elite. They've got to take another step this year.

There's a lot of guys that have a lot to prove up front. Capehart, Page, Tre Williams.

-- Dabo points out they've been in the 94th percentile in winning the last three years with 30 wins.

"That's pretty good even though people say we've been horrible. For us to go from good to great we've got to win the close games. It's as simple as that."

-- He hasn't been on the field with TJ Moore yet. But he's a big body, has good collision balance and body control and elite ball skills. That's what we've seen on tape. We'll see what happens in camp.

-- Bryant Wesco just took to it right away. He's a natural. Was not overwhelmed. He needed a big January to August. He's not going to be a finished product, but he's made important strides. Biggest thing is the speed of the game didn't overwhelm him. Early in the spring game he looked like a freshman, but then he settled in to what I'd seen all spring.

-- He doesn't think there will be much of a learning curve for Woodaz at MIKE. He's just a natural.

-- On Jarvis Green: Good spring. He's a natural runner.

-- On Jay Haynes: We've seen flashes of him, but every time we've gotten excited about him he's been unavailable. We were literally getting ready to play him last year when he pulled a hamstring.

-- Keith Adams is different from everybody in the way he plays.

-- Dabo said there will be unintended consequences of an expanded playoff. Maybe a player on a 4-4 team opts out when his team is eliminated from the playoffs, and he heads to Arizona to start training for the NFL Draft.

-- On the importance of making a statement vs. UGA:

If you win it, it doesn't tell you a whole lot either because you've still got to go win the next game. It's a huge game, no question. UGA has been clearly the best team in college football the last three years in totality. Regardless of what happens you can't let that moment define you the rest of the season. You could beat UGA and get beat by App the next week. Or if you lose it could beat you two more times. You've got to move on to the next week. But this matchup is exciting. It's a great opportunity for both teams. It's big football right out of the gate.

-- Dabo said he was against the Black Friday game against South Carolina for several reasons. He was happy to do it in Columbia if that's what they want to do. But he wants what's best for Clemson and this town. The people in this town make their hay off those Saturdays. And for our students, for them coming back here on Friday after Thanksgiving with their family and create the type of atmosphere we want ... that's my perspective: What's best for our students? What's best for this town? What's best for our fans? What's best for recruiting? It's hard for recruits to leave their homes on Thanksgiving. And some of them are playing on Fridays. That was just my opinion, and I think Graham supported that.

-- It's pointed out that Wayne Gallman was the last back here to average more than 15 carries a game. He says he'd imagine Phil Mafah would average more than that at least in the early part of the season.

"It's been a while since we've had that type of separation at RB. Hopefully we'll hit more than that with Mafah."

-- Mafah could've left. He had a decision to make. He really wants to be the guy and he has asserted himself that way. He's found his voice with this team. I'd say the same thing about Phil that I've said about Barrett: He came back here to finish. We were smart with Phil's reps this spring in part because we wanted to force the issue with the guys behind him.

-- On how Robert Gunn responded to the situation last year: Has handled it well. It was a tough year for him. I didn't know what to expect this spring in how he would respond, but he was one of the bright spots. He and Nolan Heuser finished neck and neck coming out of spring.

-- Myles Oliver (recovering from ACL surgery) is the only guy who definitely won't be available. Couple other guys on the fringe but he thinks they'll be available early in camp.

-- Dabo says he loves the 2025 recruiting class and mentions how appreciative he is to the 110 Society.

He says kids choosing against Clemson because of NIL isn't always the case.

"There are other great schools out there too."

"If NIL is the factor, we're probably not going to get them. If it's a factor, we've got as good a shot as anybody. It's just sort of the world we live in. We love our roster. You don't see many kids leaving Clemson. And don't think people ain't trying to get Peter Woods, TJ Parker. We're certainly not perfect but we've evaluated well and we've developed well and we've retained well. We don't just live in the portal because we don't have a lot of spots from guys packing up and leaving. We love our roster and think we are well positioned for the future."

-- Said Christopher Vizzina is the No. 2 QB entering August camp.

-- Dabo, on no longer having to face Nick Saban:

"It's good to know he can't get a rematch for the last one. Because if he did he would probably get some get-back."

-- Dabo and his wife Kathleen celebrated their 30th anniversary last week. Went to Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island and ate a bunch of lobster.

-- First day of camp is Aug. 1st.

BIG JULY DEALS on officially-licensed Clemson apparel and gear at The Tiger Fan Shop HERE!