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Dabo Swinney Continues to Work Magic at Clemson

By Caleb Calhoun

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Entering his eighth season as head coach of the Clemson Tigers, Dabo Swinney is slowly turning the program from a decent one to a powerhouse.

When Dabo Sweeney replaced Tommy Bowden as head coach in the middle of the 2008 season after five and a half years as an assistant there, the move seemed, well, interesting.

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Sweeney was never a head coach or coordinator, he was only 39, and he was part of the Bowden coaching tree. So what really did we have to go on that Clemson would be able to be taken to the next level with his hire?

We had Swinney’s enthusiasm and his recruiting skills. That was enough.

This week, Clemson just picked up a huge commitment from the No. 1 linebacker in the country in Rahshaun Smith, and according to Rivals, they already have five other 4-stars in the class for another Top 5 class that appears to be on the way.

Swinney has generated much more interest in the program by starting new traditions such as the Tiger Walk, he reshaped his staff, and most of all, as the CEO of the program, he has begun to recruit like a powerhouse.

Fewer than seven years later, Clemson is now a consistent college football program. They had a great run with Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins, and with Deshaun Watson as the future along with a Top 5 recruiting class this past year, the Tigers have shown they’re not going anywhere.

This team has joined the ranks of Florida State, Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, and Tennessee in terms of elite recruiting classes over the past two years. The last four national championships have been won by three of those schools, LSU is always in the discussion, and Tennessee is considered an up and coming program.

But why can’t we talk about Clemson?

It’s the one school we forget about, but they belong in the same category as these other schools. Unlike Tennessee, Clemson has a few Top 25 appearances the past few years, and they have these elite recruiting classes coming in on top of the depth they have already built.

There is no reason to believe the Tigers won’t be right there with Florida State as legitimate national title contenders in the ACC for years to come.

It may not be this year due to so much lost talent, particularly on defense. But there is a time right around the corner in which the Tigers will be on the level of where Florida State, Alabama, and Ohio State have been the past three years in terms of yearly competing for national titles.

Give the credit to Swinney for that, who has certainly succeeded in taking Clemson football to the next level.

And by the way, he has also succeeded in keeping Clemson from being the target of any Steve Spurrier jabs. Swinney will respond and make people who take shots at him look foolish. Ask not just Spurrier, but Maryland coach Randy Edsall.

Next: Top 10 ACC Wide Receivers Entering 2015

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