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Arizona State defensive lineman Zac Swanson will watch the first round of the College Football Playoffs from home with the fourth-seeded Sun Devils landing a bye. He’ll have his eyes fixed upon the 5-12 matchup between Clemson and Texas on Saturday.
The winner will be the Sun Devils‘ next opponent, but there’s more motivation for Swanson. He previously suited up for the Longhorns before transferring to ASU. He says his hands were tied in that decision.
Though initially from Phoenix, Swanson headed to the Lone Star State as a member of the 2022 recruiting class. A four-star prospect, he spent two seasons in Austin before being told to leave.
“That’s a team that kicked me out and said I was never going to be good enough to play there,” he said in an interview this week. “[Playing against Texas] is something that’s been on my agenda for some time. It’s like a dream scenario.”
Texas told @zacswanson4 he’d never see the field.
Swanson transferred to ASU, is now back home, and eagerly rooting for a matchup with UT in the Peach Bowl.
“That’s a team who kicked me out and said I was never going to be good enough to play there.”@12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/U7zbIodwtX
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) December 16, 2024
Swanson appeared in just three games with the Longhorns. He claims that Steve Sarkisian and Co. told him the only way he would stay at Texas was to “quit football and just go to school.”
“It was probably the worst thing that was ever said to me, and it was just so carelessly, like they didn’t care that it was changing my life. It two years there, I made friends. I had a girlfriend. Then they tell me that and expect me to get up and leave the next day.”
-Zac Swanson
The winner of the game between Texas and Clemson on Saturday will play Arizona State in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl on New Year’s Day. Zac Swanson is hoping it’s the Longhorns so he can show them what they turned away.
This year, the defender’s racked up 16 tackles and 0.5 sacks. While his time at Texas ended on a sour note, he’s appreciative of how things worked out in the end.
“Now, being here, and experiencing everything I’ve experienced here, at home, it’s the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me.”
-Zac Swanson
Arizona State will be watching the Longhorns intently when their contest kicks off this weekend. Swanson is hoping for a Longhorns win!