Clemson’s ‘petty’ response to Ole Miss sparks fresh drama in tampering saga

Jeff Hauser

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Clemson’s ‘petty’ response to Ole Miss sparks fresh drama in tampering saga image

The freeze from Dabo Swinney’s latest blast toward Ole Miss has yet to thaw out. In fact, they "got in the mud" with their latest move.

Clemson football quietly updated the bio page for linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who left the program this month after re-entering the transfer portal and committing to Ole Miss Rebels.

The page no longer features a traditional player profile. Instead, it includes a link reading, “Click here for Luke Ferrelli’s timeline at Clemson,” which directs readers to Swinney’s 30-minute Friday news conference detailing what he called a blatant case of tampering.

The move came three days after Swinney accused Ole Miss and its new head coach Pete Golding of improper contact while Ferrelli was enrolled, attending class and participating in team activities at Clemson. Swinney said Ferrelli had signed financial aid papers, moved into an apartment, bought a car and spent a week on campus when the alleged outreach occurred.

Swinney arrived at the podium with what he described as a detailed timeline, citing dates, phone calls and text messages. He said Ferrelli received a text from Golding during an 8 a.m. Class asking about a buyout and later saw a contract image. Swinney claimed Ole Miss eventually offered Ferrelli a two-year, $2 million deal.

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While repeatedly saying he blamed “the adults” and felt sympathy for the player, Swinney did not soften his language. He likened the situation to “having an affair on your honeymoon” and outlined what he labeled “tampering 301,” contact with a player who had already signed and enrolled elsewhere.

As questions linger about any response from Ole Miss or potential NCAA action, Clemson has chosen to let Swinney’s words stand as the official record of Ferrelli’s brief time with the Tigers.

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