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Fran Brown addressed the topic of tampering in college football now that the January transfer portal window has closed. The Syracuse football coach presented a stark contrast to an ACC rival.
Brown refused to name names while detailing a recent account of shady behavior. He ignored a message from Dabo Swinney.
Tampering and broken contracts have been the subject of college football conversation this offseason. Players are agreeing to NIL terms with one school then jumping to a more lucrative offer days later.
Duke sued Darian Mensah after he announced intentions to leave Durham. He signed a two-year deal with the Blue Devils last offseason but now wants out for Miami.
For now, he remains stuck in portal purgatory. Duke is fighting back amid the contract dispute.
Fran Brown sides with Mensah.
“Somebody tried to come get my D-Tackle.”
Fran Brown discusses how he had a similar situation with a Defensive Lineman compared to what Duke and Darian Mensah are dealing with. pic.twitter.com/X2scI0FvRU
— Cuse Sports Talk (@CuseSportsTalk_) January 25, 2026
“What happened with Mensah, it’s the game,” Brown said. “It’s the nature of the business… What is it, like $10 million that he’s supposed to get? What do you think he’s supposed to do?”
The head coach understands that the recruiting landscape has changed. Tampering is inevitable. Money talks.
He says that he’s experienced a situation similar. A nameless team attempted to swipe his defensive tackle. It led to an argument with a parent and a phone call with the coach.
Ultimately, he convinced the player to stay. That is not always the case.
Clemson lost Luke Ferrelli.
The linebacker transferred from Cal this offseason. He landed at Clemson in January. Despite being enrolled at the university and already participating in team activities, others continued to recruit.
Ole Miss reached out to his agent. They presented an offer Ferrelli couldn’t refuse. After ghosting the Tigers’ staff, he flipped.
Here’s video of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney detailing the final hours of the Luke Ferrelli transfer saga last Friday night … Dabo says his staff couldn’t get a hold of Ferrelli, so they drove to his apartment. He met them in the driveway and told them: “I’m going to Ole Miss” pic.twitter.com/u8rKDssXJ6
— Chapel Fowler (@chapelfowler) January 23, 2026
Swinney described the tampering plot in detail. He was not afraid to call the Rebels out by name. He implored others to do the same.
“I know this is happening at other places. I’ve had coaches reach out to me… Either step up and be an example to young coaches and have integrity — or shut your mouth…
“I’m not trying to get anyone fired, but when is enough, enough? If tampering is a rule, and tampering happens, there should be a consequence for that… If we don’t hold each other accountable, we have bigger issues.”
-Dabo Swinney
Swinney named Pete Golding and Ole Miss GM Austin Thomas in his accusation. He believes they should be held accountable.
Fran Brown kept his tampering party anonymous. He would not call out the cheaters by name. He ignored Swinney’s message, which will do little to prevent the behavior from happening again.