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The Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Miami Hurricanes last week to end the college football season.
Just a day before the transfer window closed for national championship players, Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney sounded the alarm on what he sees as a lack of governance in the sport.
During a wide-ranging press conference, Swinney specifically raised concerns about Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding’s alleged repeated and unauthorized contact with Clemson linebacker Luke Ferrelli. Swinney suggested Golding was working to get Ferrelli’s name in the transfer portal.
On Tuesday, the NCAA contacted Clemson about Swinney’s accusations and launched an investigation into the matter.
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Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney details transfer portal events involving linebacker Luke Ferrelli while seated next to athletic director Graham Neff during a news conference January 23, 2026 at the Smart Family Media Center in Clemson, South Carolina. (Ken Ruinard / USA Today Co / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“The NCAA will investigate any credible allegations of tampering and expect full cooperation from all involved, as required by NCAA rules,” NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan said in the statement obtained by The Athletic. “We will not comment further on ongoing investigations.”
The newly adopted 15-day window for other FBS and FCS athletes, including graduate transfers, now opens the day after the CFP quarterfinals are completed. There are built-in exceptions for players who undergo a head coaching change.
2026 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRANSFER PORTAL: TOP 10 REMAINING PLAYERS AVAILABLE
“This is a whole other level of tampering,” Swinney said in reference to Ole Miss’ alleged communications with Ferrelli. “It’s total hypocrisy. … It’s a really sad situation. We have a broken system, and if there are no consequences for tampering, then we don’t have rules and we don’t have governance.”
Ferrelli, a highly sought-after recruit, opted to enter the portal in January. He visited Ole Miss, but ultimately agreed to a contract and enrolled in classes at Clemson. However, shortly after classes began at Clemson, Swinney said the football team’s general manager, Jordan Sorrells, said, “Ole Miss was going hard” after the linebacker.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney watches an NCAA college football game against Louisville on Nov. 2, 2024, in Clemson, South Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Sorrells then asked an Ole Miss official to get the school to end all communication with Ferrelli. According to Swinney, the Ole Miss official made it clear he was not in favor of tampering. On January 15, Ferrelli requested entry into the portal with the intention of transferring to Ole Miss.
The next day, Clemson filed a complaint with the NCAA detailing alleged “blatant” tampering. Last Friday, Clemson athletic director Graham Neff made clear that legal action was not out of the question.
“I’m not trying to get anyone fired, but when is enough enough?” » said Swinney. “If we have rules, and tampering is a rule, then there should be consequences. And shame on the adults if we don’t hold each other accountable.”
Pete Golding looks on during warmups before Ole Miss’ game against the Furman Paladins at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on August 31, 2024 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Petre Thomas/USA TODAY Sports)
Swinney said he was concerned about the message uncontrolled tampering could send to future college football players.
“It’s not about a linebacker at Clemson,” he said. “I don’t want anyone on our team to not want to be here. But it’s about the next kid and the next kid and the message that’s sent with blatant tampering can happen without consequences. It’s not about our program. It’s about college football.”
Swinney said the current climate in college football incentivizes misconduct and needs to be corrected. The two-time national champion coach supported moving the transfer window from January to spring. He also called for spring football to resemble an NFL team’s OTAs and proposed limits on free transfers.
PK Press Club Digital reached out to the Ole Miss athletic department for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
A record 4,900 FBS players and more than 3,200 FCS student-athletes entered the transfer portal during the 2024-25 academic year.
