Jon Blau

Fear the up-down: Why Clemson's new DC uses football's most basic punishment to hold Tigers accountable Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen gets his players to give maximum effort. His secret weapon: post-practice up-downs, punishing defenders for every failure from the day prior.

Tom Allen has made it his missions to install a relentlessness into Clemson's defense.

One of his secret weapons in that pursuit: post-practice up-downs.

Here's why a simple disciplinary tactic has the Tigers flying to the football.
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Meet the Clemson transfer who can’t stop working out — and inspired the Tigers to follow his lead Clemson doesn’t take many transfers, fostering its culture via player retention. But one transfer, Jeremiah Alexander, became a leader for the Tigers this offseason with his extreme workout habits.

What LB Jeremiah Alexander will bring Clemson on the field is TBD. But the Alabama transfer, without question, pushed the Tigers this offseason.

“He’s gonna work until somebody stops him. And usually when you try and stop him, that doesn’t even work.”
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Clemson coach can't begrudge NIL 'business decisions.' He welcomes back transfer with 'open arms.' Tigers basketball coach Brad Brownell allowed Georgia forward RJ Godfrey to transfer back as he navigates a changing landscape of the portal and athlete pay.

Clemson coach Brad Brownell isn't afraid to say it.

In this NIL/transfer portal era, players make "business decisions." He didn't begrudge RJ Godfrey for making one when he transferred to UGA.

A year later, Brownell welcomed him back with "open arms."
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How an ex-Atlanta Hawks exec plans to build Clemson a revenue machine 'envied' across college sports Michael Drake worked for the Atlanta Hawks and NFL's Falcons before he became CEO of Clemson's revenue-generating arm to increase NIL & corporate partners.

Clemson Ventures CEO Michael Drake discusses the role of his revenue-generation machine in Clemson's NIL strategy.

Partnerships, live events, content creation -- the ex-NBA/NFL exec thinks Clemson can create a model that's "envied" across college sports.
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Documents and emails shed light on why Clemson fired gymnastics coach after 2 seasons Clemson AD Graham Neff fired gymnastics coach Amy Smith in April after violations of her contract. Here are the reasons behind this controversial decision.

ICYMI: FOIA response shows Clemson investigated gymnastics program following concerns about mistreatment of athletes. Parents allege "verbal and mental abuse."

Ex-coach Amy Smith, who faced similar accusations at previous schools, was fired for cause.
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What helps Clemson's basketball GM land transfers? Many friends, many texts and Mountain Dew. Brad Brownell's his director of recruiting acts as the program's general manager, helping land transfers like Jake Wahlin, Carter Welling, and Nick Davidson.

In a recruiting landscape that can feel transactional, Clemson has tabbed a relationship-builder as its roster-builder.

On Lucas McKay, the ex-UNCW student manager turned GM who helps the Tigers land transfers.

And makes sure mom gets her Mountain Dew.
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Playing USC on a non-Saturday? Scrapping in-state FCS games? Clemson AD says it's all on the table Tigers and Gamecocks play in Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 29 this year. Clemson also faces Furman and has games with LSU and Notre Dame coming up.

While there is talk of programs lightening schedules to improve CFP chances, Clemson AD Graham Neff wonders the opposite.

Maybe schools want to play 10-11 P4 games instead of 9-10. And FCS opponents?

"Do those become spring games? Or exhibitions?"
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Clemson needed a hero in its first NCAA Tournament game. A local product came through. Tigers baseball team beat the Spartans in Game 1 of the Clemson Regional. Erik Bakich and Co. will play West Virginia, which opened with a win over Kentucky.

Clemson needed a hero last night in its first NCAA Tournament game.

A local product nicknamed "McShovern" came through.
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Clemson's making a run in the ACC tourney. Could Tigers return to the top 8 discussion? Erik Bakich and the Tigers beat N.C. State in Durham, N.C., on May 22 and play Georgia Tech in the ACC Tournament semifinals to improve regional host bid.

Clemson didn't look like a top 8 team during a losing skid.

Clemson has looked like one in its last handful of ACC games.

The Tigers might only have an outside chance at a top-8 national seed in the NCAA tourney, but they're making things interesting.
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One Clemson basketball player tried football but quit. He hopes latest Tiger will 'see it through' Olu Babalola played basketball for Oliver Purnell. He joined the Tigers for spring ball in 2005. He played with Gaines Adams and was coached by Dabo Swinney.

So this was cool. Got ahold of Olu Babalola in the U.K. to talk about his Clemson basketball to football switch in the spring of 2005.

He wishes, to this day, he was able to touch Howard's Rock one time.

He hopes Ian Schieffelin will "see it through."
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Clemson is keeping athletes' NIL contracts under wraps, claiming they're 'trade secrets' The university claims revenue-sharing deals with student-athletes resulting from NCAA settlement of House antitrust case are proprietary, not an open record.

Unlike most contracts executed by a public university, Clemson believes its revenue-sharing agreements with athletes are not a public record.

The university's rationale: The contracts contain "trade secrets."
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Clemson's 2025 NFL draft didn't measure up to recent history. 2026 is poised for a rebound. Dabo Swinney compares to Nick Saban in NFL draft picks but 2025 only had Day 3 selections. Peter Woods, Antonio Williams, Blake Miller could be first-rounders.

2025 wasn't a great year for Clemson football and the NFL draft.

2026 could be much different.

A review of the Tigers' top prospects heading into the fall (and, ultimately, next April).
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Banana Baller who wished for a Clemson football scholarship hits homers in Death Valley Former Texas Rangers and New York Yankees minor leaguer Jake Skole, who was recruited by Jack Leggett to the Tigers out of high school, hit multiple homers.

Jake Skole, a first-round MLB draft pick in 2010, was a two-sport athlete recruited by almost every ACC school in baseball and football.

Clemson baseball wanted him. Dabo Swinney wouldn't offer him.

On Saturday, he hit multiple homers in Death Valley.
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'Finish well': How Clemson's lead rusher capped a career despite mother's illness, ailing shoulder Tigers' senior running back had torn labrum while his mother battled cancer. But the Georgia native still rushed for 1,000-plus yards in 2024 football season

In Part 2 of our Phil Mafah series, we dig deep into his final season at Clemson.

A workhorse campaign that turned into an exercise in selflessness.

Compartmentalizing his pain -- emotional and physical -- to carry the Tigers as far as he could.
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'Written in the stars': Clemson rusher with Ivory Coast heritage strives toward NFL dream Phil Mafah hopes to be selected in NFL draft Thursday, Friday or Saturday. The running back from Georgia starred for the Tigers alongside Will Shipley.

In a three-part series, we explore Clemson RB Phil Mafah's journey to the NFL Draft.

From being recruited to the Tigers by his little league coach, to his big Ivorian family, to an emotional burden few knew he was carrying in 2024.

We'll cover it all.
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Here's how 'friendraising' helped Clemson's basketball coach become the longest-tenured in the ACC Graham Neff allowed the Tigers' basketball coach to become the longest-tenured in the ACC with an Elite Eight run and the winningest season in program history

Clemson's Brad Brownell, the ACC's longest-tenured coach, is about to receive his second extension in as many offseasons this week.

How has he survived this long? AD Graham Neff believes in him, as well as some "friends" of the program in this NIL era.
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Clemson's spring hinted at what's improved and what still needs work. Here are some takeaways. Christopher Vizzina, Gideon Davidson and Tristan Smith flashed in the spring game and practices. Dabo Swinney hopes the Tigers can compete for titles in 2025.

Clemson's spring practices and spring game are in the books. What did we learn? Here are some takeaways:

Klubnik isn't worried about 2025 expectations. He's just happy Clemson didn't kick him to the curb. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney stuck by the Westlake High grad and five-star recruit; Klubnik is considered a Heisman contender for the 2025 college football season

Cade Klubnik is a spring and summer away from his final ride as Clemson's quarterback.

But he looks back at the 2022 QB recruiting class, and he's just happy to finish where he started.
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Here's why Dabo Swinney thinks Clemson will have 'two waves of terror' at receiver in 2025 Williams is joined by Tyler Brown, T.J. Moore, Bryant Wesco Jr., Cole Turner and SEMO transfer Tristan Smith in the Tiger football team's wide receiver room.

Clemson's Antonio Williams, T.J. Moore, and Bryant Wesco Jr. is a fearsome trio.

But the Tigers really like Tyler Brown, Tristan Smith, and Cole Turner, too.

Two trios -- two "waves of terror," as Dabo Swinney puts it.
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Should postseason success define Clemson's basketball season? Dabo Swinney offers perspective. Will Wade and McNeese State ended the Tigers' basketball season in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Brad Brownell loses Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin.

Dabo Swinney is a big Clemson basketball fan.

He said before the NCAA tournament even happened that, regardless of what occurred in the postseason, this team needed to be appreciated for its achievements.

That perspective comes to the forefront.

Brownell on the IU rumors: "I have a great job. I’m 100 percent focused on this team and what we got ahead of us."

Says it's what is going to happen "if you're winning games."

"I've never been a self-promoter. That's partially because of how much I love Clemson."

Brad Brownell on the appreciation on Clemson's squad, particularly from transfers: "They want to go to the tournament. There was high motivation – that’s one of the reasons they chose us … I want to experience that. There’s a sense of urgency from them."

Brad Brownell on the importance of Clemson's bench in the postseason, recalls last year: “PJ Hall got in foul trouble in the NCAA tournament and our bench guys came in and really helped us. And if they don’t play that way, we don’t win.”

Clemson coach Brad Brownell on this postseason: "Do we have the talent and the experience to make a deep run in the ACC tournament and the NCAA tournament? I think we do. But we have to play really well."

What I have learned from newest Clemson commit Kaden Gebhardt’s film is running a WR up the seam to his side is cruel and unusual punishment on the part of an opposing offensive coordinator.

🚨Helmet-less pancake alert 🚨 on Grant Wise’s Hudl film.

Of course Naeem Burroughs committed to Clemson.

The first two plays on his Hudl highlight are a Nate Wiggins-like chase tackle and a block on a linebacker.

Dabo Swinney had to love it.

Brownell: "There’s some envy people have with your team when they see a Chase Hunter who wants to stay around six years … and Ian Schieffelin, how hard he plays.

"They know there's something about your school that they’d want to stay… when they could get more money elsewhere."

Brownell on Ian Schieffelin: "There’s an appreciation for someone who plays as hard as he does. The amount of coaches and fans that have come up to me to talk about it ... it’s remarkable."

Says he mentioned it to PJ Hall once as a jab. "Hey, man, get a few more rebounds."

Chase Hunter on walk-on Matt Kelly's 3 to end Senior Night: "I wish y’all could see how good he is. Because he’s able to really hoop."