One of Grace Raynor's first experiences covering Clemson was for a football game some folks might remember -- in Tampa, featuring the Tigers and Crimson Tide playing for the national championship.

Raynor still shudders at her harrowing experience writing on a tight deadline late that night for The Post and Courier newspaper. It was such a traumatic experience that she called her mother the next morning and told her she didn't think she was cut out for this sportswriting thing.

As it turned out, Raynor was more than cut out for it. She established herself as an excellent storyteller over the years, including when she moved to The Athletic in 2019.

Over the last year Raynor has moved away from covering Clemson and carved a new and exciting world for herself: Unearthing interesting stories from the always-interesting world of recruiting.

Raynor, who will soon move from the Upstate to Virginia, visited with The Dubcast as she was preparing for that move -- plus an upcoming vacation to Italy.

She reflects on her years covering Dabo Swinney and the Tigers, and she gives her take on how the football program is positioned in a new era of the transfer portal, NIL, and a conference that appears in serious danger.