Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made headlines Monday for firing defensive coordinator Wes Goodwin. Goodwin was Swinney’s first choice for the job in December 2021 when Brent Venables departed to take over as the head coach at Oklahoma.But with Goodwin’s firing, Swinney is sending a message that he is serious about returning Clemson to the top of college football
It has been a fascinating five-year stretch for the Tigers, who made every College Football Playoff from 2015 through 2020 — and won two national championships along the way — but didn’t return until this year when the field expanded to 12 teams.
As the offseason nears and college football turns the calendar to 2025, Clemson will be one of the most interesting programs to watch, given Swinney’s decisions behind the scenes and the talent the Tigers return.
With that in mind, some thoughts on Clemson.
1. Swinney might do things his way, but he’s not afraid to make a change when he needs to
Goodwin is the second coordinator Swinney has parted ways with in recent years. He fired offensive coordinator Brandon Streeter after the 2022 season and replaced him with TCU’s Garrett Riley.
Streeter and Goodwin were internal promotions after Tony Elliott left for Virginia and Venables left for Oklahoma after the 2021 season. In Swinney’s perfect world, he’d promote from within every time he needs to replace a coach. It worked out nicely when he elevated Elliott and Jeff Scott to become co-offensive coordinators before the 2015 season. Clemson went 70-5 with five Playoff appearances and two titles during their time together. But that is no longer tenable, and Swinney seems to recognize that.
His loyalty has been his greatest asset and largest hurdle. But with Goodwin’s firing, he’s again showing he’s not willing to sacrifice winning. By saying in a statement Monday that he hopes to have his new defensive coordinator in place by the end of January, it stands to reason he’ll take his time to swing big and conduct a national search this time around.
2. He needs to get it right this time
Defensive linemen Peter Woods and T.J. Parker have announced they will return in 2025, but both would be highly coveted in the transfer portal if things go south this spring. Sammy Brown, a five-star linebacker in the Class of 2024, should be one of the fastest defenders in the ACC in 2025. Leading tackler Wade Woodaz is also back, as are defensive backs Avieon Terrell, Khalil Barnes, Jeadyn Lukus, Ashton Hampton and Kylon Griffin.
Former five-star linebacker Barrett Carter is a big loss, but the new defensive coordinator role will have plenty of talent from the jump. The hire has to be someone who can take advantage of that talent, scheme to Clemson’s strengths and figure out how to shore up the run defense — something Goodwin and his staff couldn’t do in 2024.
3. Speaking of talent on the defensive side, how about Will Heldt?
Clemson has notoriously had an aversion to the transfer portal under Swinney, but the Tigers made a huge splash in December with the addition of Heldt from Purdue. Heldt should be one of the best pass rushers in the ACC after finishing his sophomore season at Purdue with 10 tackles for loss and five sacks. He figures to be a Day 1 starter who can get after the quarterback and also help Clemson with those run-game woes. Clemson transfers might be few and far between, but this is a big one.
4. The offense should be ready-made for 2025
Riley proved himself this season, guiding a Clemson offense that improved from 98th nationally in yards per play (5.3) in 2023 to 28th (6.3) in 2024. Former five-star quarterback Cade Klubnik announced in December he’ll be back for another year, and the majority of the supporting cast is also returning.
For the first time since 2016, Clemson had three wide receivers top the 600-yard mark, and all three will return. Antonio Williams led the way with 75 catches and 904 yards, but it was the emergence of freshmen TJ Moore and Bryant Wesco that provided the offense with some downfield threats for the first time in several years.
The offensive line returns four starters: tackles Tristan Leigh and Blake Miller, center Ryan Linthicum and right guard Walker Parks. Tight end Jake Briningstool and running back Phil Mafah will be difficult to replace, but backup tight end Olsen Patt-Henry scored three touchdowns and averaged 13.4 yards on his nine receptions. Jay Haynes had some big moments at running back this season but went down with a torn ACL in December. The Tigers will add Gideon Davidson, who was the No. 3 running back in the Class of 2025 in the 247Sports Composite.
Bottom line: The Tigers should be loaded on offense and have everything they need to win a second consecutive ACC championship and re-establish themselves on college football’s largest stage.
5. It’s Playoff run or bust in 2025
The talent is in place and the necessary staff changes are coming. Clemson has no excuse to not only make the Playoff again in 2025 but also make a run. The Tigers went through some growing pains after the Trevor Lawrence era, but they appear poised to make a big move on the national scene. Swinney seems to know this.
“We want to get back to the top of the mountain,” he said after the Texas loss. “You’ve got to put yourself in position. We did that. You’ve got to learn and grow. We’ll do that.”
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