Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney during the first half at the annnual Clemson Orange and White spring game at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina and LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks to the press during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott
In a move that was very likely detrimental to his program, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney was notoriously late to embrace the transfer portal and the current chaos of the college sports world.
On the other end of that spectrum are Lane Kiffin and the LSU Tigers, who are currently playing the role of pantomime villain in college football by attempting to add players to their roster who were recently cut by NFL teams.
The two teams are set to square off in one of the marquee matchups of Week 1 of the 2026 season, and Swinney had plenty to say about the way that LSU and Kiffin are approaching roster building.
Dabo Swinney Says It’s ‘Embarrassing’ That LSU Is Trying To Add NFL Players
Swinney met with members of the media on Tuesday for his first weekly press conference of the season and, unsurprisingly, was asked about the Tigers’ ongoing fight to field former NFL players.
“I got to watch practice with the Browns in early June. I’m probably going to get turned in for tampering,” he joked at first, referring to tight end Dae’Quan Wright, who left Cleveland to pursue a fifth year of college at LSU.
Swinney then got a little more serious with his critique, taking aim at the larger state of the college sports world.
“It’s kind of embarrassing,” he said. “Honestly, it’s embarrassing that’s where we are. I don’t blame the kids, but people trying to take advantage of the system. It’s embarrassing but we’ve been there for a while … No pun intended, but we’re just going to stay in our LANE.”
Suuure Dabo, definitely no pun intended there.
Yes, Swinney and the Tigers have struggled in recent seasons. Some of that is due to his refusal to embrace a changing landscape. But one thing is true: he’s still got his fastball on the microphone.
We now couldn’t be more excited to see how Sunday’s game goes.