Tensions are flaring in the college football world as Clemson’s Dabo Swinney is accusing newly minted Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding of “blatant tampering.”
Swinney held a Friday afternoon press conference in which he accused Golding of foul play regarding the recruitment of Luke Ferrelli. Ferrelli, the reigning ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, transferred to Clemson from California and enrolled in classes at the university before reportedly finding a new home in Oxford. Though the linebacker has not officially announced a commitment to Ole Miss, sources told SuperTalk Mississippi News that he is currently in the university’s student directory.
As for Ferrelli’s path to Ole Miss, Swinney alleges a blatant disregard of rules that prohibit coaches and staff from contacting enrolled student-athletes at other universities to encourage them to transfer. Swinney’s basis for the accusation stems from conversations his general manager, Jordan Sorrells, reportedly had with Ferrelli’s agent, Ryan Williams.
Williams is said to have notified Sorrells days before the transfer portal closed on Jan. 16 that Ole Miss had been “coming hard” at Ferrelli. Swinney then instructed Sorrells to reach out to Ole Miss football general manager Austin Thomas with a warning that Clemson was aware of the alleged tampering and that if it did not stop, Ole Miss would be turned in to the NCAA for rules violations.
“Listen, this guy (Golding) has been a head coach for four weeks. I said, ‘You reach out to the GM.’ I’m going to give him some grace,” Swinney said. “You let him know that we know what’s going on. I thought that was going to be the end of it. It wasn’t.”
Sorrells and Thomas, per Swinney, had an existing acquaintanceship with one another. When Sorrells conveyed Clemson’s demand for Ole Miss to discontinue communication with Ferrelli, Thomas reportedly told Sorrells that he let the linebacker’s agent know that he was less interested in Ferrelli than he was in keeping the relationship he had with Sorrells, but that “Pete Golding just does what he does.”
Swinney, providing time stamps, further accused Golding of texting Ferrelli during an 8 a.m. class at Clemson. The Tiger head coach said Ferrelli communicated with Clemson staffers that Golding had sent him a text reading, “I know you’re signed. What’s the buyout?” After sending that message, Golding is alleged to have sent Ferrelli a picture of a $1 million contract.
Golding, according to Swinney, was not alone in luring Ferrelli to Oxford. The two-time national championship-winning coach asserted that star Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and former Rebel signal caller Jaxson Dart reached out to the sophomore to push him to re-enter the transfer portal. Ole Miss is accused of upping its offer to Ferrelli, reportedly guaranteeing him $2 million to play for the red and blue for the next two seasons.
Multiple instances of contact between Ole Miss and Ferrelli, including an attempt by director of player personnel Jai Choudhary to set up a Zoom call to discuss contract details with the linebacker, continued, according to Swinney. Ferrelli’s agent allegedly used that, along with the upped offer from Ole Miss, as an opportunity to leverage more money and long-term roster stability from Clemson.
Williams reportedly told Sorrells that he would be willing to turn over text messages and any incriminating evidence against Ole Miss to Clemson officials if the Tigers added Ferrelli another year and an extra $1 million to the player’s deal. After Clemson declined, Ferrelli reportedly went to the university’s compliance office and requested to re-enter the transfer portal.
“Jordan (Sorrells) asked to have Luke give us the text messages that he had received from Coach Golding, but the agent was hesitant to do that because he didn’t want to burn any bridges with Ole Miss, ‘as you never know what will happen down the road,'” Swinney said. “However, the agent communicated that if we were to add a second year and $1 million to the already agreed-upon deal with Luke (Ferrelli), then they would gladly give us whatever we needed in order to turn Ole Miss in.”
Swinney said that Clemson has already turned in Ole Miss for the alleged infractions, noting that NCAA officials were stunned upon the discovery. The longtime Tiger frontman also accused Ole Miss and Golding of hypocrisy, given the Rebels reportedly cried foul when former head coach Lane Kiffin allegedly tampered with offensive tackle Devin Harper and edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who had signed revenue-sharing contracts with Ole Miss.
Both players ultimately reached a deal with LSU, and Kiffin is rumored to have assisted Clemson in gathering incriminating evidence against Ole Miss in Ferrelli’s case.
“The NCAA will investigate any credible allegations of tampering and expect full cooperation from all involved as is required by NCAA rules,” NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan said. “We will not comment further on any ongoing investigation.”