Dabo Swinney talks Tristan Smith standout performance, spring portal, O-line depth

Clemson's first-team group had some returning starters sidelined for precautionary reasons, three 2024 starters and two underclassmen blocking upfront.

Grayson Mann - Staff Writer - Sunday, April 06 2025

Under Dabo Swinney’s new version of the spring game, the players were in and out in a little over 90 minutes.

In addition to his normal duties, Swinney stepped in as Clemson’s master of ceremonies for the day, keeping things moving swiftly.

That also included momentarily kicking fans off the field, letting one young fan catch punts before C.J. Spiller closed the day with his own return.

In what was a quick day under the sun, Swinney certainly took a lot in.

Transfer wide receiver Tristan Smith shined in his first action in front of the Death Valley crowd, finishing with over 100 yards and one explosive touchdown in his Clemson debut.

Swinney knows this is a big moment for the former FCS wideout, adding the opportunity the spring game presents has given Smith plenty of confidence moving forward.

Ultimately, with Smith’s frame and length, he adds an extra element to the offense. Swinney knows that today’s outing will go a long way in shaping how much further this unit can go.

“Tristan was the guy that we really needed,” Swinney said. “We had to get him going. He's the new guy, and it has been a lot of pressure on him, but for him to go out and do what he did today will really boost his confidence, and I'm just proud of him. He puts his head down. He's just a humble kid that, again, doesn't say much. He just works.”

Saturday was a trial by fire for the freshmen on the offensive line, especially for Brayden Jacobs, who got put up against Will Heldt and T.J. Parker.

“They had a couple of little hiccups, but I mean, it's just good to see Brayden Jacobs out there,” Swinney said. “I mean, Lord have mercy, he's getting off the bus first for sure. He is a giant, and he's out there, and he's having to go against TJ, and he's going against Jahiem and all these guys, and I’m really proud of him.”

Another area that Clemson can use more depth is certainly the offensive line, knowing bumps and bruises can accumulate in an extended season.

For the most part, he held his own, with Swinney adding that these types of reps in the spring will go a long way for the youth in the trenches.

These reps will also help out a defensive unit that struggled to tackle consistently in 2024.

Swinney saw that improvement today, and feels like that side of the ball has bought into what Tom Allen has brought to the team.

“I mean, we've worked really hard on the tackling,” Swinney said. “You saw some explosive hits out there today. And again, we've worked hard on the red zone. We've worked hard on some situational stuff. But again, very incomplete defense. A lot of guys are not available, but so more work needs to be done. But as far as what we could get done with the group that we had, I would say certainly job well done by Coach Allen.”

With the spring now in the rearview mirror, what is next for this team?

The portal window opens on April 16th, with plenty of fallout across the country certainly to come with that.

If you ask Dabo Swinney, he likes where this roster is at. He did acknowledge that things can change and they may have to adapt, but if this group stays the same, the Tigers going back to the portal is unlikely.

“Yeah, we don't need anybody right now,” Swinney said. “We feel good about where we are. But that's where I'm sitting here today. Ask me next week. Who knows? Those are things you just have to respond to. But if everybody stayed, everything would stay the same today. We feel good about our roster. We've got a lot of work to do, but we're ready to go to battle with the guys we got, and let's go compete.”