Dabo Swinney didn’t hold back on Friday. What started as a typical offseason media session quickly turned into a fiery, 19-minute takedown of Ole Miss - and more specifically, new head coach Pete Golding and general manager Austin Thomas - over what Swinney called “blatant tampering” in the case of linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
If you haven’t been following the Ferrelli saga, buckle up.
Ferrelli, the standout linebacker from Cal, entered the transfer portal on Jan. 2.
Just four days later, he committed to Clemson - a major win for the Tigers, who, according to Swinney, were only planning to add one linebacker through the portal this cycle. Ferrelli was that guy.
He was the priority. And for a brief moment, it looked like Clemson had locked in a key defensive piece for 2026.
But then things got messy.
Ferrelli re-entered the portal on Thursday and flipped his commitment to Ole Miss. That’s when Swinney took the gloves off.
In his press conference, Swinney accused Golding and Thomas of tampering with Ferrelli while he was already enrolled at Clemson. He claimed Golding reached out to Ferrelli with a text that read: “I know you’re signed, but what is your buyout?” Swinney also alleged that Golding offered Ferrelli a $1 million deal - while Ferrelli was sitting in class at Clemson.
Swinney didn’t mince words. Comparing the situation to “having an affair on your honeymoon,” he painted a picture of betrayal and backdoor dealings that, if true, raise serious questions about how the transfer portal is being navigated - and manipulated.
To be clear, Swinney didn’t just vent to the media. He said Clemson has reached out to the NCAA with formal accusations of tampering. That’s a significant step, and one that suggests the Tigers believe there’s more here than just sour grapes over a lost recruit.
Ferrelli, for his part, is coming off a strong 2025 season at Cal. He racked up 91 total tackles - 38 of them solo - along with a sack and an interception.
His ability to diagnose plays and fly to the football made him one of the more coveted defenders in the portal. So it’s no surprise multiple programs were interested.
But what’s being alleged here goes beyond the usual recruiting tug-of-war. Swinney’s comments underscore a growing concern across college football: that the transfer portal, combined with NIL, is creating a Wild West environment where rules are either unclear or unenforced - and where players can be poached even after committing or enrolling.
This isn’t the first time a coach has raised red flags about tampering, but Swinney’s public, pointed accusations - naming names and detailing specific interactions - take things to another level. Whether the NCAA steps in or not, this moment could mark a turning point in how schools handle portal commitments and protect their rosters.
For now, Ferrelli is headed to Oxford. And Clemson is left with a hole at linebacker - and a head coach who’s clearly fed up with how the game is being played off the field.
One thing’s for sure: this story isn’t over.