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.
During the press conference, Swinney was asked to share updates on some of the players who will be opting out of the bowl game and not participating. Swinney shared a quick update on how the roster looks ahead of the Gator Bowl.
“Obviously, you’ve got a few guys that are publicly in the portal, and it’s unfortunate that that’s just the way it is. … So, you got that process and kids trying to decide where they’re going to go. So, you know about those guys,” Swinney said.
“And then (defensive tackle) Ruke (Orhorhoro) and (linebacker Jeremiah) Trotter, (cornerback) Nate (Wiggins) are going pro, so they’ve decided that they’re not going to play. Other than that, I think all hands are on deck. But what is today? Today’s Thursday. We’ve got a team meeting on Sunday, so we’ll know a little bit more as we get to that point.”
“I do know this – we’ve got a team that’s super excited about being in the Gator Bowl,” Swinney said, “and whatever we’ve got, we’re going to have great preparation, and we’ll be excited to go down there and compete.”
Swinney and the Tigers will come to play, with this game set for Friday, Dec. 29, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla., with kickoff scheduled for noon on ESPN.