'Level Three Accountability': How player-led leadership is forging Clemson's title hopes

Clemson offensive lineman Tristan Leigh (71) during the football practice at the Allen N. Reeves Football Complex at Clemson University in Clemson, S.C. Wednesday, March 5, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesThe coaches' whistles still blow, but the loudest voices setting the standard at Clemson's fall camp are coming from the players themselves.

Head coach Dabo Swinney calls it "level three accountability," a culture where the team is no longer waiting for a coach to correct a mistake. And according to the veterans on this Tiger team, it's the defining trait that could fuel a championship run.

"That’s when the players are holding themselves accountable as opposed…