Clemson’s long-standing habit of letting young players marinate before handing them the keys could get a little easier to manage this season.
With the NCAA moving to a five-year rule that gives all current players an extra year of eligibility, Dabo Swinney sees more room to play the long game without feeling like he’s burning a year too soon. For a program that has leaned into development, that matters.
On Thursday, in his first media availability of fall camp, Swinney said the new setup could remove some of the pressure that comes with deciding whether a freshman should play right away.
“That’s the good thing about this five-year rule, because you don’t have to try to pick, balance stuff, you know, because maybe the kid’s not going to be ready early,” he said. “But maybe, by November, he’s going to be ready.”
Swinney has spent 18 seasons at Clemson and has seen plenty of freshmen who announce themselves immediately. His explanation for evaluating them was simple.
“It’s like picking an apple,” he said. “When it’s ripe, right?
I mean, when it’s ready, some guys are just ready. It doesn’t take long to see it.”
“Some guys physically look the part, but then you start coaching them, and they’re just a ways away.”
That kind of judgment has always been part of the job for Swinney, but the new rule changes the math. Instead of holding a player out strictly to protect a future season, Clemson can be a little more flexible if a guy needs live reps in September or October to get where he needs to go.
Swinney pointed to the tight end Logan Brooking situation from last season as the kind of call coaches have had to make. At the time, he had to resist using the redshirt freshman because he didn’t want to give up that year. Under the new rule, that sort of decision would look different.
“But, it’s a situation where you’re like, ‘We got these guys right here, and you don’t want to waste a year,’” Swinney said.
The answer still depends on the player. Blake Miller is the example of someone who forced the issue quickly; he arrived in the summer, climbed the depth chart fast and was a starter by Week 1. Four years later, he is Clemson’s all-time leader in snaps.
Sammy Brown took more time. Swinney said Brown needed a longer runway after arriving as a mid-year enrollee in the spring, but he eventually settled into his role.
That, Swinney said, is where staff management becomes critical.
“That’s why it’s important that you really are efficient and utilize your staff the right way,” he said. “Even though guys aren’t getting a lot of reps on gameday, they’re progressing. So, that’s important that you manage things that way.”
Quarterback is where that could matter most. Clemson often finds itself in garbage-time situations, and those snaps can become valuable for young passers.
Under the five-year rule, freshmen quarterbacks Tait Reynolds and Brock Bradley can get real game experience without the concern of losing a year of eligibility. Reynolds, who is in the mix for the starting job, could especially be a candidate to see the field at times for that reason.
In the end, Swinney said Clemson will keep doing what it has always done: judge each player on whether he is ready physically, mentally or schematically. And after nearly two decades on the job, he trusts the eye test.
“So, you just kind of know. You know when you know it, when you see it.”
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