Now that the transfer portal is closing, the next big question at Clemson is what will head coach Dabo Swinney do with his defensive coaching staff.

We can tell you that we have been tracking this question since the Texas game and all signs continue to point to Swinney making a change at defensive coordinator.

Some of what we have picked up in the last 24 hours has confirmed some of the information we have been tracking over the last week. This information leaves little doubt that this is the direction Swinney is headed.

Things are now far enough down the road that we are hearing where Wes Goodwin could land. Through speaking with multiple sources, it sounds as if Goodwin could be heading to Oklahoma to reunite with former Clemson defensive coordinator, now Oklahoma head coach, Brent Venables.

According to our sources, Oklahoma co-defensive coordinator Zac Alley is said to be in line to be Rich Rodriguez’s new defensive coordinator at West Virginia. Alley served as Rodriguez’s defensive coordinator at Jacksonville State in 2022 and 2023.

Reports are now surfacing that verify what our sources have told us about Alley.

Alley came to Oklahoma this past off-season and just completed his first year there. The Sooners had their best season on defense since 2009 in terms of total yards allowed and scoring defense.

Alley, a Clemson graduate, has been linked as a possible candidate for the Clemson defensive coordinator job had Swinney moved on from Goodwin. Alley was a student assistant on Swinney’s staff during his time as an undergraduate from 2011-’15. He then served as a graduate assistant coach from 2015-’18, helping the Tigers win national championships in 2016 and 2018.

After leaving Clemson, he was the linebackers coach at Boise State for two years before heading to Louisiana-Monroe as its defensive coordinator and linebackers’ coach. In 2022, he moved to Jacksonville State and worked under Rodriguez.

Swinney certainly is giving consideration to hiring from within his staff. Cornerbacks coach Mike Reed, who has been with Swinney since 2013 and is now his assistant head coach, could be a serious candidate.

However, we received word Saturday, that Swinney will likely go after a more experienced defensive coordinator to fill the position, much like he did last year when filling his offensive line position with longtime coach Matt Luke.