Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney says proposed changes to scholarship numbers and roster sizes could spell doom for walk-on players.
Dabo Swinney expresses his disappointment with the fact that schools can no longer be limited in the number of scholarships they offer and with how that impacts walk-ons. , schools can no longer be limited in the number of scholarships they offer, although roster sizes can still be capped. Administrators were quick to push for a lower cap -- likely between 105 and 110 players, according to multiple sources -- to reduce expenses that would come with a huge jump in scholarships.
Swinney began his career as a walk-on receiver at Alabama, earning a scholarship after two years on the scout team. That experience, he said, led him to a job as a graduate assistant and, eventually, as a receivers coach for Gene Stallings and, ultimately, to being a two-time national championship-winning head coach at Clemson. Had he not been able to walk onto Alabama's team as a freshman, however, none of that would've happened.
Swinney said internally Clemson has brainstormed potential work-arounds, including a legacy clause that would allow current walk-ons to remain with their teams until graduation or even starting club football teams that would practice with the scholarship players but play games against club teams from other schools.
Some top walk-ons would likely earn scholarships when the limit is increased, but many others would likely opt to head to lower levels so they could keep playing.
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