Dabo Swinney strongly criticized Ole Miss and first-year head coach Pete Golding in January, accusing them of tampering with transfer linebacker signee Luke Ferrelli before he eventually switched his commitment to the Rebels. Swinney ranted that he had gathered detailed evidence and seemed absolutely ready to present it to support his accusations.
NCAA Investigating Pete Golding Tampering Claims As Suspension Talk Grows Around the Ole Miss Head Coach
Trey Wallace of Outkick joined “That SEC Podcast” this week to discuss various topics in college athletics, including Swinney’s tampering accusations, along with how the NCAA might handle the situation.
“I think the NCAA has enough to be like Pete, my man, you (are) going to have to be on the sidelines or off the sidelines for a game or two,” Wallace said. “Do I think that they’ll do it? Let’s see how tough the NCAA is in this. But they have enough evidence, and the coach is starting to talk up more now. Cool. But like I said at the time when Dabo did it, you better not be throwing massive stones out of that glass house.”
Enforcement in the case appears to be moving forward, as Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported last week that the NCAA is not halting its enforcement efforts in the potential tampering investigation involving Ole Miss.
A final decision has not yet been announced regarding possible penalties for Golding or the Rebels program, but the governing body is continuing to operate under the current rules rather than pausing enforcement. That leaves open the possibility that disciplinary action may be on the table.
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Meanwhile, another twist has emerged surrounding Swinney’s allegations. Roughly two months after his public comments, Clemson University has reportedly declined several media requests seeking additional information about the claims.
The Athletic’s Matt Baker reported that his Freedom of Information Act requests related to Swinney’s accusations of recruiting violations by Ole Miss were denied by Clemson. The school cited the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA along with state regulations concerning “information of a personal nature,” in its response.
Post and Courier beat writer Jon Blau later shared that he encountered a similar outcome when making a comparable request.
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“Sent the same request for Clemson/Ole Miss communications for the Ferrelli tampering situation,” Blau wrote. “University employees (namely the football coach) made many statements about the student-athlete in question and the communications requested. Did the university itself violate FERPA then? It’s an interesting question.”
These things will continue to be discussed this offseason, but Ferrelli is undoubtedly a nice addition to Ole Miss, especially after the departure of linebacker TJ Dottery, who transferred to LSU. He was Cal’s second-leading tackler with 91 as a redshirt freshman in 2025 and finished the season with a 74.3 score in the PFSN’s CFB LB Impact Metrics.
