2025: Questions About 105 Scholarships

Apparently a big impact will be a hard cap for rosters at 105, eliminating a lot of walk-ons. Dabo Swinney was recently complaining about that part. But he also doesn't hit the portal for players so he may be biased in that aspect.

Walk-ons contribute in practice, typically comprising scout teams and offering roster depth over the course of a season. While having 105 scholarship players could theoretically give programs more quality depth, it's also likely to mean more discontent. Unlike walk-ons, scholarship players typically arrive with expectations of playing time.

"When you have that many guys on scholarship, you think you got transfers now, wait till that number gets there," Swinney said. "It's going to be a lot."

Swinney said teams "would have had to forfeit" their bowl games last season if the proposed rule had been in effect last season "because they wouldn't have had enough players."

"I do think you'll see that transfer number go way up because you only travel about 80," he said. "That will be a lot of football players not getting to play. Again, the walk-on program is what disappoints me the most. Kids that just want to be a part of it, that want to come help you practice in practice. It saddens me that that is probably going to go away."

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney decries proposed roster size, walk-on changes: 'It's a really sad thing to me'