Clemson had a terrible offseason? Cover 3 Podcast believes so
The Cover 3 podcast recently discussed what they believed to be a rough offseason for Dabo Swinney and the Clemson football program.
Clemson football continues to face plenty of outside criticism heading into the 2026 season, and CBS Sports’ Cover 3 podcast added even more fuel to the conversation this week. During a segment focused on programs that have had disappointing offseasons, analyst Danny Kanell pointed directly at the Tigers as one of the teams dealing with the most concern entering the fall. “You know a rough one?
” Kanell said. “Normally you would say if you had nine players drafted, you’d feel pretty good about yourselves, but Clemson … was one of the most underachieving teams in the entire country. ” Kanell brought up several issues he believes are hanging over the program right now, including offensive staff changes and uncertainty at quarterback.
He also referenced the frustration surrounding Clemson coming off its lowest point under Dabo Swinney in more than a decade. “The frustration of the worst season they’ve seen in the Dabo Swinney era,” Kanell said. “Breaking in a new quarterback that everyone’s kinda just fingers crossed that you hope is going to be good… I think Clemson’s had a rough offseason.
” The discussion later shifted toward what could happen if Clemson struggles again in 2026, especially after missing the standard the program set during its run as a national contender. Cover 3 analyst Tom Fornelli didn’t hold back with his opinion on where Clemson currently stands. “I think they had a terrible offseason,” Fornelli said.