There’s a growing sentiment among college football circles these days: spring games might be more trouble than they’re worth. It’s not hard to see why some folks, particularly coaches, are getting jittery about these games. While they give fans a peek at fresh talent gearing up on the field, they also provide rival recruiters a golden opportunity to scout for young stars to entice away.
In this era marked by NIL deals and the convenience of the transfer portal, the spring game has morphed into a hunting ground for opponents looking to poach promising players. This concern has prompted major programs, such as Nebraska and Texas, to pull the plug on their spring games this year.
Then there’s Dabo Swinney from Clemson, ever the maverick, sticking to his guns. As quoted by Chapel Fowler from “The State,” Swinney remarked at his spring press conference on Monday, “Canceling the spring game ain’t gonna stop tampering.” Swinney believes that any team looking to lure away his players already has all the intel they need. For him, the spring offers a precious window to coach his team and forge a tight-knit group ready to excel in the fall.
“If you don’t play football, you don’t get better at it,” Swinney argued. “Now, if we had the luxury of a couple of preseason games in the fall, I might think differently about spring. But that’s not on the table for us.”
Swinney highlighted the NFL’s approach to preseason, as teams there have a few games to tweak their lineups and strategies. In contrast, Clemson faces LSU on August 30. Preparing for such a high-stakes game doesn’t leave much room for leisurely planning. Therefore, utilizing scrimmages effectively becomes crucial for honing skills and building team dynamics.
Despite the transfer portal window opening in mid-April, Swinney remains unfazed about the potential for recruitment sabotage. In his words, “Ain’t nobody gonna go look at the spring game and go, ‘Oh yeah.’ They’ve got PFF … They’ve got every bit of data already.”
In Swinney’s eyes, seeing his players perform under real-game conditions outweighs the risk, and it’s a chance he’s willing to take to shape a stronger team for the season ahead.
