Swinney has shifted Clemson narratives about external hires and transfers. But he isn’t changing.
CLEMSON — From the outside looking in, it might seem like Dabo Swinney is changing with the times.
Prior to this offseason, Clemson’s additions in the transfer portal didn’t stretch beyond backup quarterbacks. This offseason, Swinney brought in a 6-foot-5 receiver and a pair of edge defenders from other schools.
Legendary former Clemson defender to help Dabo Swinney recruit new talent
Ben Boulware, a former standout linebacker for Clemson, is taking on a larger role as part of the Tigers’ coaching staff.
This offseason, the focus of the Clemson football program has been on revamping and improving the Tigers’ defense. Part of that process will include new responsibilities for a legendary former Clemson linebacker.
Wednesday, head coach Dabo Swinney introduced the new defensive coordinator, Tom Allen, and subsequently, he shared that Ben Boulware will have an expanded role in the program. Specifically, it appears that Boulware will be stepping up his efforts in helping Swinney bring new talent to Clemson.
“We’ve got Ben,” Swinney said to The Clemson Insider. “We are in the process of kind of finalizing some things there with that room. But (Allen) will run the defense. He’s not going to go on the road recruiting. He is going to always be with the team. I really, really like that. Ben will be out on the road (Thursday).”
Boulware, a former All-ACC linebacker for the Tigers, was an assistant linebackers coach for Swinney in 2024. Now, it appears that he has earned more responsibility. What exactly his role will be moving forward has not yet been announced but it appears that he is going to have a larger hand in helping fix the Clemson defense.
Swinney shared that Allen is not going to be on the road recruiting. That means that another member of the staff will have that opportunity and Boulware appears to be the man.
Of course, Clemson fans will always have a soft spot in their hearts for Boulware. After all, he came up huge in the 2017 National Championship Game earning Defensive MVP honors in the win over Alabama.
In that 35-31 win, Boulware registered six tackles (two for loss) and a pass defense. That capped a career that saw Boulware make 261 tackles and 8.0 sacks while also winning the 2016 Jack Lambert Trophy as the nation’s top linebacker as well as being named the 2016 ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. That season he made 116 tackles (11.5 for loss) with four sacks.
Now, he is trying to bring the next wave of elite talent to his alma mater. The 2026 Clemson recruiting class is just in its infancy, though.
With five players currently committed, the Tigers’ class ranks No. 13 overall according to 247Sports.com. However, only one of those commits calls the defensive side of the football home.
Hopefully, with one of the best linebackers in recent Clemson history by his side on the recruiting trail, Swinney can bring in some elite defensive prospects to help continue the program’s revitalization on that side of the football. After all, who better to sell what it means to be a Clemson Tiger than a player like Boulware who experienced the highest of highs during his Clemson playing career
