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As has long been established, Dabo Swinney is the most optimistic person on the planet.

So when he acknowledges publicly that injuries and other attrition are so entrenched that he's having to console his assistant coaches, you know things are less than great.

We've known since the start of spring practice that the injury theme of 2021 was going to stretch into 2022, in large part because spring practice comes so close after the end of the season and assorted surgeries require recovery time that encroaches into the brunt of the practices.

Still, in talking with not just Swinney but other coaches as well, you do get a consistent vibe that it's hard to really do much of value as a unit with so many guys out. And a large source of frustration is the absences that have come since the start of practice (Jake Briningstool, Troy Stellato, Beaux Collins, Brannon Spector, and assorted others).

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So this is a long-winded way of getting to the point that it's hard to know what to look for on the final week of practice, and of course the spring game. Yes, some of the inexperienced guys are getting more work than they would under normal circumstances and that's important in its own way.

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But when this type of attrition strikes at the precise point you're breaking in three new coaches on the offensive side, it's not the most heartening thing in the world to look toward August camp as the first time you'll be playing -- er, practicing -- with a full deck.

No, it's not the end of the world. But it's also not ideal, and that's something not even Swinney tried to sugarcoat a few days ago. -- LARRY WILLIAMS