ESPN's Jordan Rodgers Slams Dabo Swinney, Defends Lane Kiffin Over Eligibility Battle

By Staff Reporter•Sep 2, 20261:26 pm•

Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

ESPN analyst Jordan Rodgers fired back at Clemson coach Dabo Swinney on Wednesday after his comments about the ongoing eligibility battle involving former NFL players attempting to return to college football.

Swinney called the current situation in college football "embarrassing" on Tuesday and appeared to take a subtle jab at LSU coach Lane Kiffin when he said Clemson would "stay in our lane."

Rodgers responded during Wednesday's edition of ESPN's 'First Take' and didn't hold back.

quote:
"Where has his lane gotten him? 7-5? That's kind of what's embarrassing is Clemson, how they've looked the last couple years, really the last year," Rodgers said. "7-5 is not acceptable for the standard that Dabo has put together the last decade or so.

"So I don't think he's in a place to be able to comment on how Lane takes advantage of the system because Dabo has been behind the curve since NIL, since the transfer portal..."

Rodgers also pushed back against the narrative that established NFL players are simply deciding to return to college football.

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"The other thing that I have a problem with is this notion of 'NFL players,' like these guys are stepping off the NFL field and coming to play college football," Rodgers said.

He then pointed to former Ole Miss defensive lineman Zxavian Harris as an example.

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"Take Zxavian Harris, for example; he had surgery in March. He played for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. He wouldn't have declared for the NFL Draft, but he had to because his eligibility was up according to the NCAA, and they moved the goalpost and changed it.

"He never stepped foot on an NFL practice field, never stepped foot in a preseason game. If the NCAA had made the decision 60 days earlier, he'd still be in college, and this would be a non-issue.

"The fact that this 'NFL player is stepping off and deciding to come back to college' is a narrative that I think has been twisted a little and is not representative of what actually is happening."

Rodgers' comments come just days before Swinney and Clemson travel to Baton Rouge to face Kiffin and LSU in Saturday's season opener at Tiger Stadium.