Joel Klatt believes there is a ‘clear personnel issue at Clemson’ as Swinney refuses to adapt

Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program have been a top topic of discussion in college football since their 28-7 loss to Duke in their 2023 season opener. 

No matter how you slice it, the Tigers had no business losing this game, but they did. They were flat, played with no energy, and played sloppy football as they threw away the first game of the season. 

FOX Sports lead college football analyst Joel Klatt recently shared his thoughts on what has been going on with Clemson. For Klatt, there is a clear personnel issue for the program. 

“The fact remains, they have not been recruiting at the same level,” the analyst said. “Alright, a lot of factors in that. Their personnel right now is not where it needs to be on the field. They have not acquired the talent nor developed the talent to play at the upper echelons of college football – because that’s the expectation, right? For Clemson, I think that it is, particularly if you have a track record of two national titles since 2015 and six-straight Playoffs from 2015 to 2020. That’s what we expect.”

Much of the issues for Klatt come from Swinney himself. His lack of adapting is holding the Tigers back, as the program refuses to adjust because of Swinney’s principle.

“I think it’s clear, painfully, that Clemson has both failed to adapt on and off the field. Dabo is unapologetically against NIL and the transfer portal. Completely against it. Will not embrace it. He has been so public against it that it’s going to end up hurting him, because the fanbase, if you’re a Clemson fan you’re like, ‘Hold on, you can’t play Monopoly and decided on your own that you’re not going to buy any houses on property you own because you don’t think it’s right.’ While everybody else buys houses. You’re gonna lose. There’s no other way around that.”

We’ve avoided it for some time, but at some point, reality has to set in. Klatt isn’t spewing here; in many ways, he’s spot on. Look at what Florida State has been doing and is doing. Keon Coleman went from fourth on Michigan State in targets to looking like one of the best wide receivers in the country in their huge Week 1 win against LSU.

Changes need to be made before it’s too late. 

“You will lose. It’s really a bottom line proposition, and we’ve seen this time after time after time in the history of college football.”

Here is a full look at what Klatt had to say.

Story originally appeared on Clemson Wire