NCAA Opens Tampering Probe Into Ole Miss Football Program

The NCAA has opened a tampering investigation into the University of Mississippi football program, the same day Clemson coach Dabo Swinney publicly accused Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding of improperly recruiting linebacker Luke Ferrelli after he had enrolled at Clemson. The investigation, confirmed by an NCAA enforcement official in an email to Ole Miss on Jan. 23, is in its early stages, according to reports.

Ferrelli, who had previously transferred from California, signed a financial aid agreement with Clemson on Jan. 7, moved to campus on Jan. 11, and began offseason training with the Tigers. By Jan. 22, he had reentered the transfer portal and committed to Ole Miss. Swinney detailed the timeline during a Jan. 23 press conference, alleging that Golding and other Ole Miss representatives improperly contacted Ferrelli after his enrollment.

According to Swinney, on Jan. 14, Ferrelli’s agent, Ryan Williams, called Clemson general manager Jordan Sorrells and told him Ole Miss was aggressively pursuing the linebacker. Sorrells then contacted Ole Miss general manager Austin Thomas, asking that the Rebels cease communications with Ferrelli. Swinney claimed that Ferrelli...