Clemson’s first full dive into the portal has been met with controversy. Dabo Swinney’s nightmares surrounding the portal look to have come true. Reports say linebacker Luke Ferrelli is re-entering the transfer portal. Ferrelli plans to do this in order to flip his commitment to Ole Miss.
One of the many reasons Swinney was so reluctant to use the portal was the fear of a situation such as this one. He’s talked about not wanting to get into bidding wars for players, as well as not wanting players who aren’t fully committed to the program. Now, Swinney has every reason to sound the alarm on the issues surrounding the transfer portal’s lack of structure.
The Luke Ferrelli Fiasco
The Commitment
On January 7, 2026, Ferrelli announced his commitment to transfer to Clemson for next season. The former Cal linebacker was a highly touted prospect in the transfer portal after being named the 2025 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year. He finished his freshman season with 91 total tackles, five tackles for loss, and a sack.
Tigers fans were excited about the signing because of the pairing of Ferrelli with the 2024 ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year, Sammy Brown. Adding a talent like Ferrelli was a huge pick-up for the Clemson defense, which needed to add depth. Everything seemed to be locked in with the NIL agreements signed, and Ferrelli enrolled in the school. As Clemson learned the hard way, though, nothing is certain in this era of college football.
The Poaching
As Clemson celebrated signing Ferrelli along with its largest portal class to date, Ole Miss continued dealing with the repercussions of Lane Kiffin’s exit. As Kiffin continued attempting to bring his former talent from Mississippi to Louisiana, the Rebels staff had to figure out how to replace the losses.
One of the biggest was former Clemson linebacker TJ Dottery, who was dismissed from the team and transferred to Ole Miss in 2023. In the last few days of the open window, Dottery decided to hit the portal and follow Kiffin to LSU. Therefore, the Rebels staff felt desperate to fill the spot and started contacting Ferrelli.
What makes this a bigger issue is the fact that Ferrelli was not only already signed with the Tigers. He was also enrolled in the school and taking classes. Ferrelli was also reportedly working out with the team.
Reports say originally, Ferrelli let the Clemson staff know about the offers from Ole Miss and laughed at them. As the amount of dollars increased, though, Ferrelli became tougher to get in contact with. That was until the last few hours before the window to enter the portal closed. It was then that Ferrelli informed Swinney and the school of his plans to go back into the portal.
The Fallout
This is a huge loss for Clemson. Ferrelli was one of the best acquisitions the Tigers have ever gotten out of the transfer portal. Swinney and his staff knew they needed to be more aggressive this offseason, and they tried to be.
The Tigers were able to flip JUCO transfer Andy Burburija from his Nebraska commitment shortly after Ferrelli made his decision. The defensive tackle was a JUCO All-American in 2025. He racked up 45 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, and 11 sacks in his second season at Iowa Western. It doesn’t help the depth at the second-level much, but it continues to beef up the middle of the Clemson defense.
Swinney knew the portal game could get dirty, though. It’s why he tried for so long to avoid it. It didn’t take long for his program to face the consequences of playing the game. How this affects the way Clemson approaches roster building through the portal will be interesting to see. It’s unknown if the program will attempt any legal action similar to Duke with Darian Mensah. That looks unlikely to happen for now, but Swinney is expected to air his grievances in the coming weeks.
Main Image: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports