Clemson’s rough night against LSU has already turned into a much bigger conversation about the future of Dabo Swinney. After the Tigers were blasted 51-20 in Saturday night’s primetime game on ABC, the questions around the program got louder, and CBS Sports said Swinney’s future is officially “in doubt.”
Swinney didn’t soften the blow afterward.
“We got our (butts) kicked,” Swinney said. “We gotta go win next week.
It’s an embarrassing performance, coaching and playing. We’re going to have to own that.
We can’t let that lead to another loss.”
That kind of result only adds to the frustration around a program that, by CBS Sports’ telling, has gone more than five years without putting a legitimate national title contender on the field. The outlet also wrote, “Swinney looks out-matched and unable to succeed in this current era of college football.
The glory days of Clemson football, which included two national championship wins over Alabama, feel like a lifetime ago. Worse, the path back to that level of success feels impossible now under Swinney,” and pointed to his hiring of Chad Morris as offensive coordinator as “the ultimate double-down move from Dabo, the defiance that prevents him from evolving as other top coaches have to succeed in the NIL and transfer portal era.”
If Clemson ever does move on, three names stand out as possible replacements.
Tony Elliott is the first. The former Clemson offensive coordinator is now at Virginia, where he has steadily rebuilt the Cavaliers after rough starts.
Virginia won just three games in both 2022 and 2023, then improved to five wins in 2024 before breaking out in 2025 with an 11-3 season and a Gator Bowl win. At 46, Elliott has Virginia looking like an ACC frontrunner and College Football Playoff contender in 2026, which could make him a difficult coach to pry away if the momentum keeps building.
Rhett Lashlee is another strong candidate. The SMU coach has already guided the Mustangs to the College Football Playoff in 2024, when they went 11-3, and he now has two 11-win seasons on his résumé. Lashlee is 38-16 as a head coach and has ACC experience, which only strengthens his appeal if Clemson decides it needs a new direction.
Then there’s Kalen DeBoer. The Alabama coach has long been tied to Swinney’s name because of Swinney’s connection to the Crimson Tide, though the obvious twist here is that DeBoer could be the one available.
If he falls short in Tuscaloosa and gets let go, he would fit as a replacement at Clemson. Stewart Mandel even floated a wild scenario: “Lane Kiffin leaves LSU after nine games for Alabama, which fires Kalen DeBoer after eight games.
DeBoer then goes to Clemson to take over for Dabo Swinney after he gets too distraught over tampering to continue,” Mandel predicted.
It’s a long shot, but after a loss like this, even long shots start getting attention.
In Other News...
Former Florida State Transfers Are Off To Some Eye-Opening Starts
Opening weekend gave Florida State fans a familiar sort of reminder about the transfer portal era: plenty of former Seminoles were in action elsewhere, and several of them made an immediate impression in their new uniforms. The roundup was built around game results and Pro Football Focus data, tracking quarterbacks, defenders and other ex-Florida State players as they settled into fresh roles and tried to make fast first impressions for their new teams.
Among the names drawing attention were King, Castellanos and Glenn on offense, along with defensive standouts Earl Little Jr. and Joseph, whose early work included the kind of playing time, production and coverage numbers that are hard to ignore. For Florida State, it is another snapshot of how wide-reaching the portal has become, with former Seminoles showing up across the country and, at least for one weekend, making the kind of starts that will keep their old program paying attention. [Read more 🡒]
Florida State Just Reignited A Recruiting Battle With Florida
Florida State is using a high-profile game weekend against SMU to keep pressure on one of Floridas current commitments, bringing in 2027 athlete Kamarion Johnson for a visit. The Clinch County High School standout from Georgia has drawn attention for how much he can do all over the field, contributing on offense, defense and special teams.
Johnson is already pledged to Florida, but that has not slowed Florida States pursuit. The Seminoles are still working to make a case that the rivalry can swing the other way, and this visit gives them a chance to keep that conversation alive as recruiting keeps heating up between the programs. [Read more 🡒]
FSU Heads Into ACC Opener With A New Defensive Concern
Florida States first ACC game of the season now comes with another defensive wrinkle to sort through, as the Seminoles and SMU both updated their injury reports ahead of the conference opener. For FSU, the biggest developments were the loss of senior linebacker Blake Nichelson and the downgrade of defensive lineman Darryll Desir to doubtful, adding to the kind of uncertainty that can test a unit before a league game even kicks off.
The Seminoles have already spent plenty of time this fall managing availability, and this latest report only sharpens the focus on depth and communication against an SMU team that is dealing with its own absences. The Mustangs listed at least nine players unavailable, including safety Ahmaad Moses and backup cornerback Jaden Milliner-Jones, so both sides enter the opener with lineup questions that could shape how the game is called and how quickly each defense settles in. [Read more 🡒]