Skip to main content
Join Now
Team Avatar
Clemson

Dabo Swinney describes the difficulty of being patient with quarterbacks in today's college football

Barkley-Truaxby: Barkley Truax11/01/24BarkleyTruax
state-of-acc-football-clemson
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney arm in arm with players for the "Walk of Champions" before the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl with Kentucky at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, Friday, December 29, 2023.

Patience isn’t a word often found in today’s college athletics. Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney may know why.

In the age of NIL and the transfer portal, instant gratification is becoming a necessity for players, coaches, and fans alike to maintain positive morale within the program and throughout the fanbase. This especially rings true at the quarterback position.

JLAB has the best audio products in the game – and they’re ready to take care of you this football season. Whether you’re traveling to watch your favorite team play or just streaming the game at home.

Find the blue box at retailers near you or visit jlab.com.

“It’s hard to have patience because you have so much noise and fans. If a kid isn’t great as a freshman and the head coach is under so much pressure, you go on to the next guy,” Swinney said. “Everybody wants to win yesterday. Unfortunately quarterback play, all play, it’s developmental. If we threw guys away as first-year starters, we’d miss out on some of the greatest players to ever play. There just isn’t a lot of patience anymore.

“You can see it in the NFL, too. Some of the best quarterbacks in the NFL now weren’t great early in their careers. But people develop. Sometimes you have a guy who transitions right away but that’s not always the case.”

Save $30 on your first month of Fubo by CLICKING HERE NOW!

For a limited time, you can get your first month of Fubo for as low as $49.99. Stream ESPN, ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and 200+ top channels of live TV and sports without cable. (Participating plans only. Taxes and fees may apply.)

Swinney pointed toward current Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik. A former five-star recruit, Klubnik was a first-year starter during the 2023 season. There was pressure on Klubnik to perform right away and he continued to progress as the season progressed.

“The game has slowed down for him,” Swinney said of his quarterback. “He is a second-year starter and is still developing. It’s not just mental. It’s physical. It’s everything together. You’ve seen guys who have hung around and gotten better in college football.

“You see that right now with Cade. I think we have the same thing with Christopher Vizzina. And he’s getting better. He had patience on the front end. But he’s getting better. Y’all don’t really see it. He’s really progressing. He’s kind of doing it in the dark. Patience isn’t a popular word these days.”

As Clemson continues to develop their talent the old-fashioned way by recruiting and developing talent, they’re reaping the benefits having won its last six games this season thanks to the play of Klubnik and company.

They’re set to take on Louisville during Week 10 as they look to remain undefeated in ACC play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET live on ESPN.