Dabo Swinney Comments on Tampering Allegations Against $6.8 Million Head Coach

A high-profile transfer reversal has ignited tampering allegations and prompted a public response from Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney.

Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney makes his case during a review of a an interception against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the third quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Dabo Swinney didn’t mince words Wednesday as he updated the public on a brewing tampering controversy centered on Pete Golding and the transfer flip of former California linebacker Luke Ferrelli.

Ferrelli committed to Clemson on Jan. 6 through the transfer portal. Sixteen days later, he reversed course and signed with Ole Miss after what Clemson alleges were improper overtures, including texts asking about his buyout and photos of a lucrative contract offer.

Clemson reported the situation to the NCAA and has been pushing for clarity ever since.

Now, Swinney says he has had no direct contact with Golding since making the allegations public. “No, I don’t know him,” he said, adding that Clemson submitted extensive documentation to the NCAA as part of its complaint.

“I am not going to let someone flat out tamper with my program,” Swinney added. “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.”

The controversy has grabbed national attention because it’s no longer just a coach vs. coach dispute. It’s a test case for the NCAA’s ability to enforce tampering rules in an era defined by NIL money, agents, and rapid-fire roster movement, where the lines between legal recruiting and illegal contact are increasingly blurred.

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Pete Golding against the Miami Hurricanes during the 2026 Fiesta Bowl | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

A defensive specialist with a strong résumé in the SEC, Golding was elevated to the head coaching role late in the 2025 cycle after Lane Kiffin departed for LSU.

Golding reportedly agreed to a three-year deal with a Year 1 base salary in the $6.8 million range, inheriting a program that had just pushed into the College Football Playoff conversation, raising expectations in Oxford overnight.

If the allegations that Ole Miss staff, and Golding himself, dangled seven-figure inducements are substantiated, the ramifications would extend well beyond optics.

An NCAA finding of tampering could bring suspensions, scholarship reductions, or recruiting restrictions, directly impacting a roster built to compete at the highest level.

Long term, this case could become a catalyst. The transfer portal’s gray areas have been widening for years, and a high-profile enforcement action would likely accelerate clearer NCAA guidance on tampering, NIL inducements, and permissible contact during portal windows.

For now, Swinney has drawn a hard line in the sand, and the NCAA faces a credibility test. Whether this evolves into a precedent-setting case or fades into a negotiated resolution, the sport’s transfer-era guardrails are about to be scrutinized in a way they haven’t been before.

Clemson Tigers head coach Dabo Swinney looks on during the first half of the 2025 Pinstripe Bowl | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images