Overview
- The NCAA opened a formal investigation on Jan. 23 and told Ole Miss to preserve records while enforcement staff requested forensic imaging of phones connected to the case.
- Enforcement asked for devices and phone records for linebacker Luke Ferrelli and six Ole Miss staffers, including coach Pete Golding and general manager Austin Thomas, covering December 2025 through January 2026.
- Clemson filed a complaint roughly a week earlier and coach Dabo Swinney publicly accused Ole Miss of contacting Ferrelli after he had enrolled at Clemson and said a photo of a $1 million contract was shown.
- Reporting says the probe remains in its early stages, neither university has offered substantive public comment, and no findings or penalties have been announced.
- If investigators find contact after Ferrelli enrolled at Clemson or evidence of improper payments, NCAA rules allow Level II sanctions that could escalate to Level I with proof of financial benefits, and the parallel NIL review by the College Sports Commission could widen enforcement consequences.