Dabo Swinney was college football's biggest underachiever in 2025
Based on 2026 NFL draft results, Clemson and Dabo Swinney easily squandered more talent than any other college program in 2025. Details inside:
The 2026 NFL Draft is over. Part of the process of taking stock of the draft is the evaluation of college football coaches. Who did more with less, and who did less with more?
The facts back up the claim that Dabo Swinney of Clemson was the biggest underachiever among 2025 college football coaches. Let's go into the details. Playoff standard NCAA.
com tabulated the number of NFL draft picks by school. Nine schools led the pack with eight draft picks or more. Of those nine, only two -- Dabo's Clemson and James Franklin's Penn State -- did not make the playoff.
Clemson had nine NFL draft picks, Penn State eight. Right there, one can find a basis or the claim that Swinney was the biggest underachiever. More context Texas A&M made the CFP with Marcel Reed at quarterback.