Dabo Swinney met with the media Thursday as the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl held a virtual press conference with Swinney and Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops as the teams prepare for their matchup, with Swinney taking time to discuss the issues he sees with recruiting right now.
The transfer portal has affected many high school recruits. For a coach like Swinney, who has built national championship teams with the help of talented freshmen, he is not a fan of what some of these recruits have to deal with. These changes around the college football landscape have changed things a lot.
“First of all, I think it is sad what is going on with high school recruiting, honestly. There are a lot of high school kids that are not getting signed anymore. That is a really sad thing, and there are a lot of high school kids that have been committed a long time, but now all of sudden the portal comes open and they are being pushed to the side or told, ‘They might want to look around,'” Swinney said.
Changes need to be made, as college football feels like the Wild West. There needs to be more regulation within the transfer portal and NIL, which is having serious ripple effects.
“So, I honestly, I wish they would put the signing period maybe on August 1 or something just to where these kids could sign and be done with it and free them up. If the head coach left or is fired. I think they need an out there,” Swinney said.
That’s not a bad idea from Swinney; changes need to happen sooner rather than later.