Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney did not hold back with accusations of Ole Miss coach Pete Golding directly tampering with a player.
The transfer portal has created a mess in college football; there’s no other way about it. The Duke Blue Devils are currently suing a player for trying to enter the portal on the last day despite signing a two-year NIL contract. But tampering has been rampant, and not unique to the Darian Mensah situation. It’s rare, however, that head coaches directly call out other coaches and name players that they allegedly tampered with. Clemson Tigers coach Dabo Swinney blew that all open with an hour-plus long press conference on Friday regarding linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
Swinney signed Ferrelli out of the portal from Cal after he took an unofficial visit to the Tigers on Jan. 6. Ferrelli then surprised and changed course when it was reported that he was re-entering the portal this week. One day later, the linebacker committed to the Ole Miss Rebels. Swinney did not mince words when going after Rebels coach Pete Golding for tampering, alleging that he made direct and repeated attempts to lure Ferrelli back in the portal after he’d already signed a contract with Clemson and enrolled in classes. Ferrelli’s agent contacted Tigers general manager Jordan Sorrells on Jan. 14 – more than a week after classes began – to tell him that Ole Miss was “going hard” at Ferrelli. Swinney asked Sorrells to contact Rebels GM Austin Thomas to request that they cease contact, but Swinney alleged a series of communications between Golding and Ferrelli that broke that.
Here is the full story from Clemson Roundtable writer Dylan Feltovich on the messy situation in which Sweeney held no bars.
Golding reportedly texted Sweeney during a class saying, “I know you’re signed, but what is your buyout?” The text was followed by an image of a contract offer from $1 million, and later phone calls from quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and former Rebel Jackson Dart that intended to persuade Ferrelli to re-enter the portal and join the program. Ferrelli reportedly told Clemson he didn’t want to leave, but a series of events involving communications with his agent that asked for a second year and bump on Ferrelli’s contract eventually culminated in him requesting that the school’s compliance offers enter him in the portal on Jan. 15.
Swinney was succinct and direct in his comments: “if you tamper with my players, I’m going to turn you in.” It seems like in order for any of this to change, other coaches may need to follow his suit.