As LSU fights the outside pushback for trying to roster former NFL players this season, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney got a little jab in at Tigers coach Lane Kiffin in over the whole ordeal.
fWith Kiffin still defending his team trying to add undrafted NFL rookies like former Ole Miss tight end Dae'Quan Wright and defensive tackle Zxavian Harris for the 2026 season, Swinney called the whole ordeal "embarrassing" while speaking to the media on Tuesday ahead of his team's Week 1 game against ... who else but LSU.
"All that outside stuff, we just kind of, no pun intended, we just stay in our lane here at Clemson, try to," Swinney said, even he not able to hide the snark of mentioning Kiffin's name in his quote.
Obviously, Swinney is not among those
who hav embraced the changes of the NIL/transfer portal era of college football, his team notoriously averse from roster-building through the portal. It's not a shock to see him against this trend of NFL players returning to college to play, as most college coaches and decision-makers are.
Dabo Swinney with a not-so-subtle message ahead of Clemson’s Week 1 matchup vs. LSU 👀 pic.twitter.com/xZJFUPp4m8
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 1, 2026
However, Swinney mentioning Kiffin in the whole ordeal, pun intended or not, ahead of the two teams playing on Saturday night in Baton Rouge does add a little more fuel to the fire.
We're sure this will be an emotional game for all involved, whether or not Wright and Harris are actually eligible to play this season after their brief NFL stints over the summer.
When is Clemson vs. LSU?
Saturday, Sept. 5 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Dabo Swinney digs at Lane Kiffin ahead of Clemson-LSU over NFL controversy
