The Ole Miss Rebels were hit with a second allegation of tampering with a player on another roster following an accusation from Clemson over linebacker Luke Fernneli.
New head coach Pete Golding has been at the center of both accusations, as they occurred under his watch following his takeover of the team from former head coach Lane Kiffin.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney held a full press conference that included detailed text messages from Golding and his staff, hoping to sign Fernneli despite knowing he had recently signed with the Tigers.
The Rebels ended up signing Fernneli, drawing the ire of Swinney, and now Fresno State has stepped forward with its own tampering claims.
According to experienced college football reporter John Canzano, the NCAA contacted Fresno State about rumors that Ole Miss had “improper contact” with their leading wide receiver, Josiah Freeman.
“Fresno State has receipts,” Canzano wrote.
Freeman is a six-year senior who will be entering his final year of college football in 2026. He had 52 receptions with 642 yards and six touchdowns in 2025.
What did Ole Miss do to Clemson in the tampering allegation?
According to Dabo Swinney, Golding sent Ferrelli a text message that read, “I know you’re signed. What’s the buyout?”
Golding also allegedly sent a contract with a $1 million offer to the player, and he eventually flipped his commitment, re-entered the portal, and left Clemson after moving in and starting classes.
The NCAA is already investigating Ole Miss over the Clemson allegation, and Fresno State’s claims only add fuel to the fire.
“The NCAA will investigate any credible allegations of tampering and expect full cooperation from all involved as is required by NCAA rules,” NCAA vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan said in the statement.
“We will not comment further on any ongoing investigation.”
Swinney himself drew a hard line in the sand during his remarks against Ole Miss and Pete Golding.
“There’s tampering, and 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 when the kid’s not in the portal.
Tampering 301 is when you’ve got a kid who’s gone in the portal, signed somewhere, moved there, gone to classes and you’re texting them while they’re in class. That’s like a whole other level of tampering.”