Dabo Swinney learned that if you can’t beat them, join them. Because he tried to fight the NIL fight for as long as possible. Then he got a taste of what it was like to win and return to the College Football Playoff.

That euphoria was strong enough to complete his 180 and plunge headfirst into the new era of college football recruiting. According to On3, Swinney’s Clemson Tigers have been linked to Purdue edge rusher Will Heldt.

It’s a rare sighting of Swinney in the portal as he adjusts to the role he and Clemson will play in the NIL and the ever-expanding transfer portal. According to On3, this is the first time Swinney has tried the portal for a defensive player and only a few offensive players.

It’s a sign that Swinney has become what he fell victim to. He was anti-NIL when everything was first introduced. He has since retracted his harsh statements. And now he’s participating in the very thing he probably thought would destroy college football.

What a difference it makes when you win.

Swinney can’t argue why the transfer portal, no matter how hectic it is, is useful. If used correctly, it will become an extension of high school player recruiting. I think the portal can be of help to a player who was either under-recruited or over-recruited in high school.

We have seen several players come out of the portal and revive their careers. What Swinney is learning is that if the Tigers want an easier path to the College Football Playoff than they did this season, he’ll have to snoop around the transfer portal more often than not.

That doesn’t necessarily translate into instant wins – ask Ryan Day, who spent $20 million on NIL only to still lose to Michigan this season. But it puts you in a better position to attract the better players. And if Swinney of all people recognizes this, then perhaps we just have to learn to adapt to the new times.

Swinney once had no interest in changing his recruiting methods. This season has taught him that he has no choice. And if the Tigers can even get a playoff win, that will make Clemson, S.C., a little more attractive as a college town.

The Tigers have a championship tradition as one of the longest-tenured teams in the CFP since their inception in 2014. But that was before NIL and the transfer portal took off. The Tigers fell by the wayside.

Now that Swinney realizes his value, the Tigers will be better off as they try to recapture the top spot in college football.