Luke Ferrelli, Clemson at center of ongoing transfer controversy

Picture from Eric Canha, Imagn Images

Clemson football has made it a priority to turn around its roster and heavily utilize the transfer portal this offseason. The program made huge news as the portal opened with transfers of elite talent like former SMU running back Chris Johnson Jr., and safeties Jerome Carter and Southern Miss’ Corey Myrick.

Recently, Clemson portal talk is making headlines for all the wrong reasons after the sudden flip of incoming linebacker transfer Luke Ferrelli, who seems to have his sights set on Ole Miss now.

Of Clemson’s offseason additions, Ferrelli was the most prominent of incoming transfers, earning the honor of ACC Freshman of the Year in his lone playing season at Cal. He made 91 tackles, the most of any freshman in the nation last year, one sack and one interception in that award-winning season. The announcement of his transfer to Clemson came with high praise, as he was set to be a leader for a new-look Clemson defense alongside standout Sammy Brown.

On Jan. 16 at 9:07 p.m., TigerNet reporter Grayson Mann posted on X that he noticed Ferrelli had taken down mentions of Clemson in his Instagram bio, despite Ferrelli keeping up the commitment posts to Tigertown. The Clemson Insider would later report Ferrelli’s statement to the Clemson coaching staff: he was leaving the program even though he had been in the early stages of getting to know the team.

The transfer portal closed that same day, on Jan. 16, but programs are allowed a grace period to formally allow a player’s name to be entered. It is expected that Ferrelli will flip his transfer commitment to Ole Miss once he is processed into the portal.

This sparked outrage among social media, with X user @bwindley83 stating, “All these Ole [M]iss fans in here celebrating after spending the last 2 months being crybabies about ‘Kiffin tampering’ is the definition of irony.”

Notably, Ferrelli was found in the official Clemson directory, enrolled as a sociology student with a class schedule. Not to mention, he’s made appearances on Clemson’s campus.

Picture from Clemson Athletics

“Regardless of this happening to Clemson, when is the NCAA actually going to enforce the tampering rules,” @NextGenTigers asked on X. “If you’re gonna allow it, just eliminate the rule in the first place. Also don’t get how you can be enrolled in classes at your ‘new’ school, but still be in the portal.”

New reports state that Clemson may look towards pursuing legal action over the incident and test the legality of the move by Ferrelli. David Hood, a senior writer from TigerNet, claims that sources told him head coach Dabo Swinney has been “stockpiling nukes and bombs and has receipts to make a stink.”

“This has been what Swinney has been preaching for years,” Hood wrote. “If college athletics jumps into a system like this without guardrails, the sleaziest among us will be quick to take advantage.”

Despite what ends up happening to Ferrelli, the University or the potential investigation into the transfer, there are still options for Clemson at the linebacker position. The Tigers definitely have their second-best option in Kobe McCloud to stand alongside Brown behind the defensive line. McCloud put up 26 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a 73.0 defensive grade for the Tigers in 2025.

Jeremiah Alexander, a former Alabama transfer who had the highest grade for Clemson linebackers in pass rush for 2025 with 67.6, and former walk-on Fletcher Cothran will be other depth options at the linebacker role.

It is unclear how far the University may go to investigate this case, but it’s one that reeks of sliminess and is an example of the madness the transfer portal system has inflicted on college sports.

STORY ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN CLEMSON UNIVERSITY'S STUDENT NEWSPAPER, THE TIGER.