The spring transfer portal was already a mess, but an anonymous ACC coach just poured gasoline on it and lit the match. As if the chaos of NIL and roster cap headaches weren’t enough, some coaches are now calling the remaining portal talent “trash” — And they said it with their chest, too.

College football insider Brett McMurphy stirred the pot on May 12 with a post on X that read: “A couple of ACC coaches summing up available players in the transfer portal: ‘It’s full of trash right now. There’s no one worth adding.'” That one sentence had fans, players, and even rival coaches doing spit-takes.

Let’s be real. The spring portal was never meant to be a Christmas morning free-for-all. Most elite stars like Nico Iamaleava, David Stone, or Jaydn Ott have found their new homes. Then you’ve got names like Nick Billoups and Cameron Jones from UCLA still floating, plus three-star cats like Malik Bradford (UNLV) and Ezra Christensen (Fresno State) are low-key lost in the portal. Not exactly headliners, but to call the whole bunch “trash”? That feels way too much.

There’s frustration, sure. Coaches are trying to juggle scholarships capped at 105, looming House settlement logistics, and unpredictable player movement. But this kind of talk? It reeks of desperation and a little bit of ego bruising. The truth is, coaches don’t like losing leverage. And when a starter dips in April, it nukes depth charts and development plans.

The coaches’ gripe isn’t completely baseless. Some players do hit the portal just to chase NIL bags or run from competition without having real-time game film on them. Others, especially underclassmen, haven’t touched the field since high school and think they can jump right into another D1 locker room like it’s a revolving door. That messes with team chemistry.

Still, blanket-stating every remaining portal kid as worthless? It’s tone-deaf. And worse, it paints hardworking athletes, many of whom just want a fair shot, as disposable. No surprise that fans hit back hard.

Fans on the internet are furious with anonymous ACC coaches over outrageous take

When EliteCollegeFootball posted McMurphy’s report on IG, the floodgates opened. The comment section low-key violated in real-time.

First up: “That’s a messed up thing to say about young players who are working hard to make this sport their life imo.” It’s true. A lot of these guys are betting on themselves. They’re waking up at 5 am, grinding film, rehabbing injuries, hoping somebody notices. To reduce all of them to trash? That isn’t right. We’re talking about student-athletes trying to create better futures, and to hear a coach toss them aside like bad leftovers is cold.

Next comment hit the mystery head-on: “People may disagree but it isn’t Dabo he doesn’t talk like that gotta be someone else.” That’s been a hot debate. Some fans swore it was Dabo Swinney. While others say he’s too filtered to go scorched earth like that. Maybe a coach like Bill Belichick or someone lower profile let it slip. Either way, fans don’t like guessing games when reputations are on the line.

Then came this banger: “If you think Dabo would call a bunch of kids looking for somewhere to play ‘Trash’ you’re tripping.” Defenders of Dabo came in swinging. Say what you want about his old-school ways, but fans don’t believe he’d publicly disrespect young athletes. That level of bluntness feels more like a coach under pressure, maybe watching his recruiting board fall apart.

One fan dropped a layered take: “Ion think they wrong by saying it u got kids entering portal jus because they can some proven some not… Know your going into a better situation before u transfer because u may get lost in the portal.” This one’s complicated. The fan isn’t co-signing the “trash” quote but points to a real issue: some players treat the portal like a reset button without understanding the risk. If you’re not elite or don’t have film, you can end up stranded, no offers, nowhere to go. That’s a fact.

And finally: “I would say more overlooked talent than anything.” Now that’s the heart of it. Every year, someone gets passed over in May and ends up balling out in September. There’s always that one guy who transfers late and turns into a monster. Writing off the entire spring class is lazy scouting at best.

So yeah, the portal’s wild. But calling young athletes “trash” for chasing opportunity? That just feels like the pot calling the kettle salty. The truth lives somewhere in the gray: yes, some players misuse the system, but many are just searching for a fit, playing time, or peace of mind. These ACC Coaches are frustrated. But maybe they should be looking in the mirror too.

Culture cuts both ways. And if these spring portal kids show up in fall camp with chips on their shoulders? Maybe who knows, if a few so-called “trash” players turn into college football’s next breakout stories. Bet that.