Dabo Swinney incriminates Pete Golding, Ole Miss with detailed timeline on Luke Ferrelli transfer, flip

For the first time since Luke Ferrelli’s transfer flip from Clemson to Ole Miss, Dabo Swinney addressed the situation. He walked reporters through the situation in a detailed, 19-minute answer during a Friday press conference and specifically called out Rebels coach Pete Golding.

Ferrelli committed to Clemson Jan. 6 after entering the transfer portal Jan. 2. Swinney said the Tigers planned to only add one linebacker from the portal, and the former Cal star was the choice as they built out the roster.

However, Ferrelli officially re-entered the portal Jan. 22 and committed to Ole Miss. Swinney then broke down a detailed timeline as he walked reporters through the situation, including conversations between Ferrelli and Ole Miss. In fact, he said Golding texted Ferrelli, “I know you’re signed, but what is your buyout?”

Clemson has also reached out to the NCAA regarding allegations of tampering against the Rebels, Swinney confirmed. He then further called out the allegations against Ole Miss.

“I am not going to let someone flat out tamper with my program,” Swinney said. “If you tamper with my players, I’m going to turn you in. There’s a lot more I can say, but I’m going to let the NCAA do its job.”

A closer look at the Luke Ferrelli timeline

Clemson general manager Jordan Sorrells had his first conversation with Luke Ferrelli’s agent Jan. 4, Dabo Swinney said, and Ferrelli arrived for his official visit Jan. 5. He and his dad then went to Swinney’s house at around 9 p.m. that night.

The next day, Jan. 6 at 2:30 p.m., Ferrelli took his official visit. They verbally accepted terms of Clemson’s offer and committed that day. From there, Swinney and the Tigers said they were done seeking out linebackers in the portal since they wanted to add one. Swinney said Ferrelli and his father left for home at 3:15 p.m. that day, and the next day – Jan. 7 at 11 a.m. – Ferrelli signed his financial aid agreement.

A week later, Jan. 14 at 9:49 p.m., Swinney said Ferrelli’s agent called Sorrells and said Ole Miss had been “coming hard” after Ferrelli. By that time, he had been enrolled at Clemson and attending classes. Ferrelli’s agent also told Sorrells that Ferrelli did not intend to leave Clemson at that point, but wanted to loop the program in.

Then, Jan. 15 at 11:45 a.m., Sorrells went to Swinney and told him about the conversation with the agent. Swinney then told Sorrells to reach out to Ole Miss general manager Austin Thomas about the situation, noting Golding is a new head coach.

“Listen, this guy has been a head coach for four weeks,” Swinney recalled saying. “I said, ‘You reach out to the GM. I’m going to give him some grace. And you let him know that we know what’s going on, and if he doesn’t cease communication, I’m going to turn him in.’ I really thought that would be the end of it, but it wasn’t.”

At 12:10 p.m. Jan. 15, Sorrells texted Thomas because he couldn’t reach him on the phone, Swinney said. Four minutes later, at 12:14 p.m., they spoke via phone. That’s when Sorrells reiterated Clemson’s stance. According to Swinney, Thomas told Ferrelli’s agent he “wanted no part of this” and his relationship with Sorrells was more important to him than with Ferrelli. However, Swinney recalled, Thomas said, “Pete Golding just does what he does.”

At 1:30 p.m. Jan. 15, Sorrells met with Ferrelli in his office, and Ferrelli confirmed Golding texted him Jan. 14 while he was in his 8 a.m. class. The message read, according to Swinney, “I know you’re signed. What’s the buyout?” Ferrelli added Golding also texted him a picture of a $1 million contract.

Ferrelli also told Sorrells that Golding had Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss call him from his phone, Swinney said, and Golding was also on the call pushing Ferrelli to enter the portal. He also said former Rebels star Jaxson Dart reached out. Again, Swinney said, Ferrelli told Sorrells he did not plan to leave Clemson.

At 11:20 a.m. Jan. 16, after Clemson had a scheduled staff meeting, Ferrelli called Tigers linebackers coach Ben Boulware and said Ole Miss reached out again to communicate it doubled the offer. Boulware told Ferrelli to come to the office to speak with Sorrells and Swinney about the situation, and Boulware also told Sorrells Ole Miss increased its offer. At 11:57 a.m. Jan. 16, Sorrells spoke with Ferrelli’s agent about the situation once again.

“The agent confirmed that head coach Pete Golding had continued to communicate with Luke and had raised the offer once again. Jordan asked to have Luke to give us the text messages that he had received from Coach Golding, but the agent was hesitant to do that because he didn’t want to burn any bridges with Ole Miss as you never know what will happen down the road.

“However, the agent communicated that if we were to add a second year at $1 million to the already agreed-upon deal with Luke, then they would gladly give us whatever we need to turn Ole Miss in – which Jordan, appropriately, said no. We’re not doing that.”

When Luke Ferrelli decided to transfer

Dabo Swinney said Jordan Sorrells also communicated Ole Miss director of player personnel Jai Choudary was pushing to set up a Zoom call with them to discuss the details of the Rebels’ contract offer. At 12:30 p.m. Jan. 16, Sorrells met Ferrelli in the locker room outside the football facility, and the linebacker said he was stopping by to tell Swinney he wasn’t leaving. Swinney was not in the office and could not reach Ferrelli via phone.

A few hours later, at 4:14 p.m. Jan. 16, Sorrells told Swinney the Clemson compliance office called to say Ferrelli was in the office trying to request to re-enter the transfer portal. At 4:19 p.m., Sorrells called Ferrelli’s agent to tell him Ferrelli requested to enter the portal, and the agent responded saying he was flying at the time.

“Sorrells texted, ‘Luke just reached out to our compliance and requested to go in the portal. What the heck is going on?’ The agent’s response was, ‘Oh, bleep. Let me try and find out.'”

At 4:40 p.m. Jan. 16, Sorrells and defensive coordinator Tom Allen got to Ferrelli’s apartment. He was in the driveway when they arrived, and he responded, “I’m going to Ole Miss,” according to Swinney. At 5:39 p.m., Sorrells spoke with Thomas again and told him Clemson knew what was happening and the school was ready to pursue all options about tampering. A couple hours later, at 7:20 p.m. Jan. 16, Ferrelli called Swinney after telling Allen and Boulware of his plans to enter the portal and told him the same thing.

Dabo Swinney immediately called Clemson AD

After learning of Ferrelli’s arrival at the compliance office, Dabo Swinney said he called Clemson AD Graham Neff and ACC commissioner Jim Phillips. Phillips then called SEC commissioner Greg Sankey “and others,” according to Swinney, and Clemson submitted “everything” to the NCAA.

“There’s tampering. And then, there’s blatant tampering,” Swinney said. “Tampering 101 is when you’re talking to kids who aren’t in the portal, Tampering 201 is when you’ve already negotiated the deal with the kids not in the portal.

“Tampering 301 is when you’ve got a kid who’s going in the portal to sign somewhere, move there, going to classes and you’re texting them while they’re in class. That’s like a whole ‘nother level of tampering.”