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Dabo Swinney gives a hint to where Clemson transfer Scott Pagano could land for his final year of eligibility.

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Defensive tackle Scott Pagano’s days as a Clemson football player have officially come to an end. Pagano decided on Friday morning that he would be best served transferring for his final year of eligibility.

He graduated from Clemson in December and will be eligible to play immediately due to NCAA graduate transfer rules.

Where exactly he spends his final year has yet to be decided, but Dabo Swinney’s statement on the decision shines a little light on the possibilities. Pagano, originally from Honolulu, Hawaii, is expected to head west.

“I met with Scott Pagano yesterday. We had a good talk and he told me about his intentions to be a graduate transfer for his final year of eligibility. I told him to think about it overnight.

“We all wanted him to stay, but he said he had accomplished everything he wanted to do at Clemson. He came here to graduate and win a national championship and he achieved both within the last two months.

“He indicated to me that he wants to start his graduate degree and play his final year of college football, probably on the West Coast.”

That rules out the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC, leaving only the Pac-12 as a realistic landing spot. Given his talent and projections as a top 10 defensive tackle in the 2018 NFL Draft, it’s unlikely that he drops out of the Power Five.

“I wish him nothing but the best,” Swinney continued in his statement. “Scott Pagano has been a fully committed person to the program. He has always been committed to do the best he could in everything. We will miss him and he will always be one of my players and will be a part of our Clemson family.”

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