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Clemson

Dabo Swinney calls out teams for attempting to tamper with Peter Woods, Antonio Williams, others

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/04/26brianjones_93

Clemson football head coach Dabo Swinney does not like it when other teams go after his top players. While speaking with Greg McElroy on Always College Football with Greg McElroy, Swinney talked about teams tampering with players such as Peter Woods and Antonio Williams.

“We lead the nation in graduation and retention,” Dabo Swinney said. “I’m proud of that. So, we do have a culture. We just had 16 guys go to the NFL. …All 16 of those guys, Clemson, their whole career. 15 of them are graduates. And so that’s culture.

“These kids love this place. …You think our guys are here for free? You don’t think people try to get Peter Woods, and Antonio Williams, and T.J. Parker, and Sammy Brown, and Ashton Hampton, and T.J. Moore? You don’t think they try to get our players? Sure, they do. There’s tampering. It’s insane what’s going on in college football. But our kids stay here because we’ve created value in the place, and there’s value in the people who you’re doing life with every day.”

Dabo Swinney has spoken out against tampering earlier this year

This is not the first time Swinney has spoken out against tampering. In January, the two-time national championship coach told the story of Luke Ferrelli, a transfer linebacker from Cal who has just enrolled at Clemson, moved into an apartment, and began classes and workouts. He then left the school for Ole Miss because head coach Pete Golding allegedly texted Ferrelli asking him, “What’s the buyout?”

That is one level of tampering. In March, Max Olson of ESPN pointed out that being level 301 of tampering, and the other two are talking to players before they enter the portal (level 101) and making deals before they enter the portal (201). Tampering has increased with the emergence of NIL in the last few years.

Swinney does not have to worry about teams going after Woods and Williams because both players are now in the NFL. Woods, an All-ACC First-Team defensive tackle last season, was selected in the first round (No. 29 overall), by the Kansas City Chiefs in this year’s draft. Williams, a two-time All-ACC wide receiver, was also selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, as the Washington Commanders picked him in the third round.