The Clemson Tigers came into the 2025 college football season looking the part of a serious national championship contender. Dabo Swinney appeared to have the program headed in the right direction once again.
Unfortunately, that was not actually the case on the field. Through the first four games of the year, Clemson holds a 1-3 record. Already, the Tigers’ national championship hopes are gone. Swinney has started becoming a hot seat candidate as well.
After making a shocking run to the College Football Playoff last season, seeing Clemson come out the way it has in 2025 has been a massive disappointment. So far, the Tigers have had losses to LSU, Georgia Tech, and Syracuse. Their lone win came at home against Troy, although they struggled to win that game.
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Should Clemson actually consider making a head coaching change and moving on from the legendary Swinney, who could the program look at to replace him? Quite a few options have been suggested already.
That being said, there is one suggestion that stands out head and shoulders above the rest of them.
Brian Schaible of The Sporting News has named Deion Sanders as a possible coaching candidate for the Tigers. He is currently the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, but a move to Clemson would have to be of interest to him.
“Sanders would bring unmatched star power, recruiting muscle, and national buzz,” Schaible wrote. “While some might wonder if his bold media driven approach fits Clemson’s traditions, there is also a natural connection. Both Sanders and Clemson are rooted in faith based values. That shared foundation could make Prime a stronger cultural fit than many assume, and his presence would put the Tigers squarely back in the national spotlight.”
Making the move from Swinney to Sanders would be a massive change of culture for the Tigers. Sanders has been known to be very active with NIL recruiting and the transfer portal. Those are areas that Swinney has constantly tried to stay away from.
In order to rebuild the Clemson football program, major changes might be needed. Swinney might be safe for another year, but the team looks dead in the water this year.
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Sanders might be a long shot to become the next head coach of the Tigers. Perhaps this is just an interesting suggestion that has no possibility of actually happening.
Despite how surprising Sanders becoming the new head coach at Clemson would be, it can’t be completely ruled out.