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What Dabo Swinney does that annoys Clemson football players but might win Tigers a national championship
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- What Dabo Swinney does that annoys Clemson football players but might win Tigers a national championship
CLEMSON — It's hard for linebacker Wade Woodaz to escape Clemson football 's national championship history.
He sees reminders of the Tigers' success when he warms up inside the team's practice facility. Clemson has national championship and College Football Playoff (Final Four) banners hung up for each year the team has achieved both feats. There are none from the years Woodaz has been a Tiger.
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He can't escape hearing about past Clemson players either. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney reminds the team about how great past Clemson leaders were, including defensive linemen Christian Wilkins , Austin Bryant and Dexter Lawrence and quarterback Trevor Lawrence , whose faces are plastered around the facility.
"I want to take all the stuff from the walls down and I want it to be us. I want it to be this team," Woodaz said.
Bryant approved Woodaz's message to create a new legacy at Clemson, posting "as you should young buck" on X. Swinney agreed, saying those past players who are on the walls would be more than happy to return to Clemson and take their photos down.
Swinney shared that former NFL and college coach Marvin Lewis spoke to the team recently and talked about players he coached with special traits, including Ray Lewis, Greg Lloyd and former Clemson linebacker Levon Kirkland. Those standout players are similar to those Swinney has coached who helped the Tigers win two national championships and make the title game four times from 2015-20.
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"If you want to be in that group, go do it. Those are earned," Swinney said. "You want me to talk about you like I do Grady Jarrett , go do it."
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Woodaz enters his fourth season, and Clemson has only made the CFP once (2024). The Tigers are a popular pick to repeat as ACC champions, return to the 12-team tournament and be a contender for a national championship this season as they return the most production out of any Division I team, according to ESPN.
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Clemson is No. 6 in the US LBM preseason coaches poll and one of five teams to earn at least one first-place vote. The Tigers have numerous players earning preseason accolades , including quarterback Cade Klubnik , who is viewed as a Heisman contender.
Klubnik, a projected first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, headlines Clemson's offense that retained offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, every end-of-year starting receiver and four offensive line starters. The continuity has allowed preseason practice to run smoothly this season compared to 2024.
"We had the same squad for the last three years and just think we been glued together," tight end Olsen Patt-Henry said. "... Nothing's changed. We just more experienced."
Clemson retained defensive standouts like Woodaz, linebacker Sammy Brown , cornerback Avieon Terrell , edge rusher T.J. Parker and defensive tackle Peter Woods and hired former Penn State assistant Tom Allen as its new defensive coordinator.
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The Tigers' four-man front with Parker, Woods, edge rusher Will Heldt and DeMonte Capehart has received offseason comparisons to Swinney's most recognizable defensive line unit. The "Power Rangers" consisted of future NFL draft picks Clelin Ferrell , Dexter Lawrence, Wilkins and Bryant from 2016-18.
Swinney says this year's group has a long way to go to be in that category, but Capehart has seen the parallels.
"We appreciate those guys, but we are starting our own legacy," Capehart said. "We got a lot of work to do, and we're just ready to go show people. We can't talk our way into nothing."
Clemson's first test is against No. 9 LSU on Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Memorial Stadium. The Tigers' ACC schedule features games against Georgia Tech (road), No. 16 SMU (home) and Louisville (road) before concluding the season vs. rival No. 13 South Carolina (road).
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Those past Clemson teams went up against a similar gauntlet in order to make the CFP or win the national championship. This year's squad will have to do the same to see if they want to see their pictures in the practice facility and "2025" added to championship banners.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney: Clemson football players tired of coach saying this
