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Will Clemson football portal signee Luke Ferrelli transfer from Dabo Swinney to Ole Miss?
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- Will Clemson football portal signee Luke Ferrelli transfer from Dabo Swinney to Ole Miss?
CLEMSON — Clemson football transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli has not flipped his commitment to Ole Miss but will re-enter the portal, per CBS Sports.
Ferrelli, who transferred from Cal, committed to Clemson after visiting on Jan. 6, then confirmed his decision on social media. The Tigers announced his signing on social media on Jan. 7.
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But he removed any mention of Clemson in his social media bios on Jan. 16, suggesting he may transfer again. He is still listed on Clemson's 2026 roster but has reportedly re-entered the portal.
Here's the latest on Ferrelli's situation.
Did Luke Ferrelli re-enter the transfer portal?
Ferrelli reportedly re-entered the portal on Jan 16, the final day for players to enter the portal unless they are playing in the national championship, with Ole Miss as a likely destination. It is expected to become official on Jan. 21 or 22 as it takes time for the request to process.
The Tigers announced his signing on social media on Jan. 7. Ferrelli was listed on Clemson football 's 2026 roster on its website and in the school's directory.
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However, he removed any mention of Clemson in his social media bios on Jan. 16, then deleted any Clemson commitment posts on Jan. 21.
Who is Luke Ferrelli?
Ferrelli is the reigning ACC defensive rookie of the year. He logged 91 tackles, including five for loss and one sack, an interception and one pass breakup in 13 games in 2025 for Cal. He led all freshmen in tackles (87) and finished second among all ACC freshmen in tackles for loss (five).
MORE: Where the 14 Clemson football players Dabo Swinney lost in portal transferred
Ferrelli, a San Diego native, spent two seasons with the Golden Bears. He was a three-star recruit out of high school and rated as the No. 108 player in California , per the 247Sports Composite.
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247Sports rated him as the No. 64 linebacker in the portal and the No. 1,008 player nationally.
Luke Ferrelli's decommitment history
According to 247Sports, Ferrelli has a history of committing and decommitting, dating back to his time in high school.
Initially, he committed to Arizona in April 2023, then decommitted in June 2023 to commit to Stanford . Ferrelli decommitted from the Cardinal in December that year to commit then sign with Cal.
Why is Ole Miss pursuing Luke Ferrelli?
Ole Miss is coming off a College Football Playoff semifinals appearance. The Rebels lost star linebacker TJ Dottery , who played for Clemson in 2022 and went by TJ Dudley, to LSU , and linebacker Jaden Yates in the transfer portal.
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Dottery led the SEC with 98 total tackles, and Yates logged 55 tackles.
As a result, Ole Miss needed to shore up its linebacker corps to try to make another CFP run.
Could Clemson, Dabo Swinney take legal action against Luke Ferrelli?
Ferrelli was signed and reportedly in classes and participating in winter workouts at Clemson before re-entering the portal.
If Ferrelli signed a revenue-sharing contract, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and the university could follow what Duke did to try to retain the star linebacker.
Duke filed a lawsuit against its quarterback, Darian Mensah , on Jan. 20 to block him from transferring.
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In the suit, Duke is seeking a temporary restraining order to block Mensah from transferring to another institution, claiming he violated a contract that gives Duke exclusive rights to his name, image, and likeness and prohibits him from competing at another institution during the contract term.
How Clemson can replace Luke Ferrelli?
Ferrelli was in line to compete with Jeremiah Alexander, who transferred to Clemson last season, and Kobe McCloud for the starting linebacker position opposite of Sammy Brown next season.
Clemson lost starting linebacker Wade Woodaz to expiring eligibility and Dee Crayton and Jamal Anderson to the portal.
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If Ferrelli is gone, Clemson would need either Alexander and McCloud to be an impactful starter. The Tigers will also need both to remain healthy as there is unproven depth behind them with C.J. Kubah-Taylor, Drew Woodaz, Logan Anderson and freshman signee Brayden Reilly.
Clemson can also pursue another linebacker in the portal to fill Ferrelli's void. That transfer won't be a high-end player but can be someone who can provide depth.
Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at DCarter@usatodayco.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Will Luke Ferrelli transfer to Ole Miss after signing with Clemson in portal?
