New School Accuses Ole Miss Football of Tampering Amid Dabo Swinney, Clemson Claim

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding stands on the field during warmups before the CFP Fiesta Bowl at the State Farm Stadium, in Glendale, Ariz., on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. Lauren Witte/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New School Accuses Ole Miss Football of Tampering Amid Dabo Swinney, Clemson Claim

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI | By Zack Nagy | Last updated Jan 29, 2026 12:34 PM ET

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Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels remain in the spotlight this week amid tampering accusations from Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers.

In a tell-all interview last Friday, the Clemson head coach walked reporters through a situation where Ole Miss transfer addition Luke Ferrelli - who initially departed the Cal Bears for the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason - signed with Clemson.

But after a short stint with Clemson where he was enrolled with the university this spring semester, Ferrelli then elected to to re-enter the free agent market and signed with Ole Miss.

“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.”

Ole Miss is now under investigation by the NCAA after Swinney's press conference where he accused the program of "blatant" tampering.

Now, another school has come forward in accusing the Ole Miss program of tampering: Fresno State.

A twist in the Ole Miss "tampering" probe... NCAA investigators are looking into illegal contact the Rebels allegedly had with a star Fresno State player.

"Fresno State has receipts," source tells me.

More: https://t.co/Cnc2sYyQbK pic.twitter.com/wpsjCYbgO7
— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) January 29, 2026

According to reports, "NCAA investigators had contact with the Bulldogs’ athletic department this week, per sources.

"The contact stems from allegations that an Ole Miss football staff member made improper contact and tampered with Fresno State receiver Josiah Freeman, a sixth-year senior and the team’s leading receiver."

But it didn't stop there. Fresno State claimed they "have receipts" on the matter as the Ole Miss program remains under a microscope.

Pete Golding and Ole Miss are reportedly under investigation for tampering with Fresno State now joining the mix.

"The NCAA will investigate any credible allegations of tampering and expect full cooperation from all involved as is required by NCAA rules," the organization said to The Athletic's Grace Raynor. "We will not comment further on any ongoing investigation."

Now, all eyes are on the NCAA's investigation and what the organization will do surrounding Ole Miss amid "tampering" accusations.

This article first appeared on Ole Miss Rebels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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