Last offseason, really for the first time, Dabo Swinney made a small number of moves in the transfer portal.
While Swinney had added a couple of backup quarterbacks previously, this was the first example of him signing players who were actually expected to contribute. And those three additions, DE Will Heldt, LB Jeremiah Alexander and WR Tristan Smith, have been some of the hardest workers on this year’s team. Heldt has been one of the few bright spots on the defense, leading the team with four sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss.
The hope is that what was seen last offseason was only a precursor to what’s coming because it looks like there will be several holes that need to be filled on next season’s team, and we’re saying that before we even know if any impact players might decide to move on via the portal.