Former Clemson linebacker talks new team, why he was dismissed from Tigers
Three years after he was dismissed from Clemson for a violation of team rules, former Tigers linebacker TJ Dottery is talking about his departure – sort of.
Information surrounding Clemson football’s decision to dismiss Dottery (then known as TJ Dudley) from its program in July 2023 is limited. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney wouldn’t elaborate on Dottery’s departure at the time, outside of calling it a “disappointing situation.” Dottery hasn’t discussed it publicly.
Heading into Dottery’s final year at LSU, though, he and LSU coach Lane Kiffin (who also coached Dottery at Ole Miss) are offering new details about his dismissal.
Kiffin said in a February signing day news conference that Dottery was a “victim” of another person in the situation that ultimately led to him being dismissed at Clemson for a team rules violation. He credited Dottery for his perseverance.
“I just love his story,” Kiffin said Feb. 6. “... All the guy does is just continue to work, continue to develop as a player. He has a personal situation that’s been brought up. Especially in this chain of him transferring, it gets re-brought up. It’s something that he was a victim of and something that – people don’t talk about this part – the person that did this to him is now in jail and is unable to do that to other people after doing it to a number of people.”
Kiffin brought up the circumstances of Dottery’s Clemson dismissal unprompted while responding to a question about the linebacker’s transfer from Ole Miss.
“He knew in the transfer portal: I can do the comfortable, easy thing and stay here (at Ole Miss). Nobody’s going to re-bring up that story of what happened to me at Clemson,” Kiffin said of Dottery. “Or I can go do the challenging thing that will make me uncomfortable – what he believed was the best for him. And he did it.”
“I think that says a lot about him,” Kiffin added.
Dottery signed with Ole Miss shortly after being dismissed at Clemson, but since his transfer fell outside normal portal windows he had to sit out the 2023 season.
Once he was eligible to play at Ole Miss, he emerged as one of the top middle linebackers in the SEC. Dottery finished second on the team with 76 tackles in 2024 and had a conference-leading 98 tackles for Ole Miss in 2025 as the Rebels went 13-2 and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Dottery originally signed with Clemson as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022 and appeared in four games that season for a Tigers team that won the ACC title. He projected as a legit rotation player for Clemson in 2023 before he was dismissed.
Dottery spoke to LSU media for the first time since his transfer last week.
“That entire situation, I definitely was a victim,” he said April 9. “But, I mean, I’m not gonna try to change anybody’s opinion or view on me – that doesn’t affect me at all.”
While at Ole Miss, Dottery changed his name from TJ Dudley to TJ Dottery. He said at the time he changed his name to match the last name of his father, Antoine Dottery.
The linebacker said last week he didn’t mind Kiffin talking about why Dottery was dismissed at Clemson with the media.
“That was just awesome for him to say that,” Dottery said of Kiffin. “He didn’t have to. I heard the question – he didn’t have to go into detail like that, but that just shows what kind of person he is. Like I said, he’s truly genuine.”
Could Dottery elaborate on what happened to him at Clemson?
“No, what he (Kiffin) said was pretty much the synopsis of what happened,” Dottery said. “I’m not gonna get into it.”
Dottery set for rematch with Clemson football
Even though he hasn’t played a snap for Clemson since Dec. 30, 2022, Dottery’s name is still associated with the Tigers for a few reasons.
On top of his sudden dismissal from Clemson and evolution into a top SEC linebacker since, Dottery’s transfer from Ole Miss to LSU in January wound up playing a big role in the ongoing Clemson-Ole Miss tampering saga.
Ole Miss coach Pete Golding said last month his program didn’t heavily consider recruiting Cal transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli until its previous middle linebacker, Dottery, entered the portal in January and committed to play for LSU and Kiffin.
The Rebels pursued Ferrelli and got him to flip from Clemson to Ole Miss — despite the fact he’d already signed a scholarship agreement, had an apartment and was taking classes and participating in team workouts at Clemson. Swinney and Clemson reported Ole Miss to the NCAA for tampering (the investigation is ongoing).
Kiffin said Dottery will be a “critical” player for LSU this fall.
“With TJ, that was really important – to not just get somebody that’s been such a good player that I’ve been with for three years but somebody that I’ve gone through things with,” Kiffin said. “His personal stuff, mine, just kind of growing together.”
Dottery said he initially thought he’d stay at Ole Miss and play for Golding, but Kiffin and LSU presented a better opportunity and a defensive scheme he felt he could thrive in as a fifth-year senior. LSU opens the season against none other than Clemson on Saturday, Sept. 5 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
“I felt like, ‘Why not go play for the coach who gave me my opportunity when a lot of other coaches didn’t at that time?’” Dottery said.
This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Former Clemson linebacker talks new team, why he was dismissed from Tigers."
