Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney on NFL players returning to college: 'embarrassing'

The topic was bound to come up at some point this week, and on Tuesday it did. What does Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney think of Lane Kiffin's efforts to bring players who were on NFL preseason rosters back to college football and LSU ahead of Saturday's prime time showdown at Tiger Stadium? Swin

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What is the story about?

The topic was bound to come up at some point this week, and on Tuesday it did. What does Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney think of Lane Kiffin's efforts to bring players who were on NFL preseason rosters back to college football and LSU ahead of Saturday's prime time showdown at Tiger Stadium?

Swinney sounded off on the subject during his Tuesday press conference and called it "embarrassing."

"Honestly, it's just embarrassing that that's where we are," Swinney said. "I don't blame the kids and people trying to take advantage of the system. I just think it's embarrassing where we are with college football. And we've been there for a while."

Earlier in his press conference, Swinney said:

"You spend all summer watching Arizona State to try to get

a feel of this quarterback. You're watching Colorado to try to get a feel of this elite, elite tackle they've got. You're studying Wisconsin, you're studying Ole Miss. You're looking at a lot of things to try to get a feel for personnel that you're going to play, and (then) spending this last week or so studying the Browns and the Cowboys and the Saints and the Bucs."

"I actually got to go watch practice in early June for the Browns, so I'm probably going to get turned in for tampering," Swinney joked. "I wish I'd have known. I'd have paid a little bit more attention."

Tight end Dae'Quan Wright, cut by the Browns, and defensive lineman Zxavian Harris, waived by the Saints, are players that were on NFL preseason rosters who have been practicing with LSU. They are currently eligible to play college football, and both are set to officially join LSU, if a judge hearing arguments on Thursday allows it.

The SEC and commissioner Greg Sankey are "prepared to contest the allegations in the plaintiffs' petition at Thursday morning's hearing and defend the SEC's rights as a voluntary association to fulfill its mission to its member institutions," the conference said in a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports.

"It's a crazy world we're living in," Swinney said.

Swinney said that he tries to keep his focus on Clemson and the things he can control.

"All that outside stuff, we just kind of -- no pun intended -- stay in our lane here at Clemson," he said. "Try to. Every now and then, somebody will ram into us but we try to just kind of handle our business here."

'No rules, no governance': Dabo Swinney rips current state of college football

Swinney repeated that he felt the issue of NFL players returning to college was embarrassing. He added:

"We have no rules. There's no governance. I mean, it's a joke. There's zero rules, and when you enforce rules, somebody just goes and finds a judge to say, 'No, you can't enforce that rule.' Never did I think I'd be living in an era like this, but that's where we are. Hopefully, eventually, there will be some different things coming down the pike.

"All I can tell you is, we have great kids here. We have great people here, and we try to stay focused on Clemson and how we do things."

In case there was any doubt, Swinney was asked by a reporter if he was against players returning from the NFL.

"I mean, you can probably figure that out," Swinney said. "Again, I don't blame people for trying to take advantage of whatever somebody says they can do, but yeah, I think it's pretty self-explanatory."

Swinney preparing for LSU, with or without former NFL players

Swinney was asked how he prepared for a scenario where the former NFL players in question could be in uniform when Clemson takes the field Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

"Been watching the preseason games of the Bucs and the Browns," Swinney joked. "No, I'm not really really worried about it. I'm really not. There's been all kinds of talk. I've lost zero sleep over that. I could care less. And they can do whatever they want to do. Everybody can do what they want to do."

"People judge us all the time," Swinney continued. "I'm not going to sit here and judge somebody else on decisions they make and how they want to run their program. I'm really not. I just think at the end of the day, our focus is on us. That's really all that matters. I can't control any of that stuff. I ain't worried about it. Everybody's got good players."

Swinney is far from the only one who has spoken out about the idea of NFL players returning to college. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian also offered criticism. Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard put it more bluntly on Tuesday.

"That's the stupidest s--- I've ever heard," Ballard said.

Kickoff for Clemson-LSU is 7:49 p.m. ET Saturday. The game will be televised on ABC.

ESPN predicts the final score of Clemson vs LSU football in Week 1

📸 Alex Martin/Greenville News, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect https://t.co/naQmbrAAhA pic.twitter.com/7Zcl0Q4Bqg
— Clemson Wire (@Clemson_Wire) September 1, 2026