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Dabo Swinney's detailed timeline of Ole Miss, Pete Golding tampering with Luke Ferrelli
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- Dabo Swinney's detailed timeline of Ole Miss, Pete Golding tampering with Luke Ferrelli
This story was updated to add new information.
CLEMSON — Dabo Swinney called out Ole Miss and Rebels coach Pete Golding for what the Clemson football coach said was tampering with transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli .
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Swinney said he turned the information over to the NCAA.
"If you tamper with my players, I'm going to turn you in," Swinney said Jan. 23 during a news conference.
Ferrelli transferred from Cal and was the ACC defensive rookie of the year in 2025. He committed to Clemson after visiting on Jan. 6. The Tigers announced his addition on social media on Jan. 7, and Ferrelli was listed on Clemson 's 2026 roster on its website and in the school's directory. He did not officially sign a revenue-sharing deal with Clemson .
However, he re-entered the portal on Jan. 16 and committed to Ole Miss on Jan. 22.
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Swinney said Golding was contacting Ferrelli despite him transferring to Clemson, being enrolled in classes and participating in team workouts.
"I know you're signed. What's the buyout?" Swinney said Golding texted to Ferrelli on Jan. 15.
Ole Miss did not respond to a request for comment about Swinney's allegations regarding Golding and Ferrelli.
Dabo Swinney gives timeline of Ole Miss tampering with Luke Ferrelli
Swinney presented a timeline of events of what happened with Ferrelli:
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Jan. 4:Clemson general manager Jordan Sorrells had his first conversation with Ferrelli's agent, Ryan Williams
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Jan. 5:Ferrelli and his father visited Swinney's home, where they described visiting Ole Miss as a "mess" and "disorganized."
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Jan. 6:Ferrelli visits Clemson's campus and transfers to the Tigers. This prompted Clemson to cancel other transfer linebacker visits as the Tigers planned to take only one in the portal.
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Jan. 7:Ferrelli signed his financial aid agreement.
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Jan. 11:Ferrelli moves to Clemson.
MORE: Could Ole Miss, Pete Golding be punished for tampering with Luke Ferrelli? Here are the rules
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Three days later, Ole Miss began to reach out to Ferrelli, according to Swinney.
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Jan. 14:Williams calls Sorrells, expressing Ole Miss is coming after Ferrelli "hard," but assures the Clemson general manager that the linebacker had "no intention" in leaving Clemson and wanted to keep the Tigers in a loop.
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Jan. 15:Sorrells informs Swinney of the conversation with Ferrelli's agent. Swinney asked Sorrells to reach out to Ole Miss general manager Thomas Austin, who he knows, and inform them, "We know what's going on, and if he doesn't cease communication, I'm going to turn him in" via text. Austin called Sorrells and expressed that their relationship is more important than landing Ferrelli, but "Pete Golding just does what he does."
Later that day, Ferrelli met with Sorrells and communicated to him and Clemson linebackers coach Ben Bouleware that Golding texted him at 8 a.m. in class, "I know you're signed. What's the buyout?" with a photo of a $1 million contract.
Ferrelli added former Ole Miss quarterbacks Trinidad Chambliss and Jaxson Dart both called him to push him to re-enter the portal. Still, Ferrelli reassured Sorrells that he had no intention in leaving.
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Jan. 16:Ferrelli called Bouleware to inform him that Ole Miss had reached out again and upped their offer for the linebacker. Bouleware told Sorrells that Ole Miss raised its offer to two years, $2 million and told Ferrelli to visit Sorrells and Swinney to let them know about it.
Sorrells called Williams, who confirmed Golding continued to communicate with Ferrelli, and Ole Miss director of player personnel Jai Choudhary pushed to set up a video call with the linebacker to discuss the contract offer. Sorrells asked Williams for the text messages, but he was hesitant because "he didn't want to burn any bridges with Ole Miss as you never know what will happen down the road."
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However, the agent said if Clemson were to add a second year at $1 million to the already agreed upon deal, they would send over the messages to help turn in Ole Miss. Sorrells declined.
Sorrells later met with Ferrelli, who still assured him he wasn't leaving Clemson. Swinney called Ferrelli but didn't get a response.
Hours later, Sorrells got a call from the compliance office that Ferrelli had requested to re-enter the portal. Swinney called Ferrelli again, but there was no answer. Sorrells called Williams, who did not know Ferrelli had done that.
Sorrells and defensive coordinator Tom Allen went to Ferrelli's apartment, and the linebacker told both that he was going to Ole Miss.
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MORE: 5 most important players Dabo Swinney retained for Clemson in 2026, including TJ Moore
This led to Sorrells calling Austin to let him know that Clemson knew what was going on and would "pursue all options." After Ferrelli informed Swinney of his decision, he called athletic director Graham Neff and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips, who called SEC commissioner Greg Sankey, and turned the evidence into the NCAA for tampering.
"I'm gonna let the NCAA handle this, and I'm gonna let them do their job," Swinney said. "I'll say this, this shouldn't be a three-year or three-month investigation. This might take three days. They're either going to tell the truth or they're gonna lie."
Swiney added he doesn't want people to lose their jobs, but accountability should be held for breaking rules.
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"I feel sorry for the young man, to be honest with you," Swinney said. "I blame the adults, and again, if you want to have an adult world, there needs to be adult consequences."
What is tampering?
Tampering in college athletics is when teams contact players who are on other teams. That is against the rules.
In many cases, teams will do that to try to get players into the transfer portal. However, accusations are rarely publicized.
Teams are not allowed to tamper with athletes, according to NCAA bylaw 13.1.1.4. Here's what the full rule says:
"An athletics staff member or other representative of the institution's athletics interests shall not communicate or make contact with the student-athlete of another NCAA Division I institution, or any individual associated with the student-athlete (e.g., family member, scholastic or nonscholastic coach, advisor), directly or indirectly, without first obtaining authorization through the notification of transfer process. Before making contact, directly or indirectly, with a student-athlete of an NCAA Division II or Division III institution, or an NAIA four-year collegiate institution, an athletics staff member or other representative of the institution's athletics interests shall comply with the rule of the applicable division or the NAIA rule for making contact with a student-athlete."
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Who is Luke Ferrelli?
Ferrelli is the ACC defensive rookie of the year for 2025. 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).
With Ferrelli gone, Clemson linebackers are Sammy Brown , Jeremiah Alexander, Kobe McCloud, Fletcher Cothran, C.J. Kubah-Taylor, Drew Woodaz, Logan Anderson, freshman signee Brayden Reilly and Joseph Roberto II.
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
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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Dabo Swinney details Ole Miss tampering with transfer Luke Ferrelli
