Ole Miss lands former four-star Clemson transfer linebacker T.J. Dudley

OXFORD, Miss. — It looks like the Portal King has a few surprises left up his sleeve as Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, along with his new defensive coordinator Pete Golding, garnered a commitment from Clemson transfer linebacker T.J. Dudley Friday night. 

@CoachGolding 🐬 pic.twitter.com/zIo59xOPMd

— TJ “BULL” DUDLEY (@HollywoodHtu) July 29, 2023

Dudley, on a visit to Oxford for Juice Fest ’23, was a four-star recruit for Montgomery Catholic Prep (AL) and was ranked the No. 22 linebacker in the nation in the 2022 cycle.

During his four years at Montgomery Catholic Prep, he tallied 381 tackles, 59 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, seven interceptions, seven pass breakups and seven touchdowns.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Dudley played four games as a freshman in 2022 for Clemson after choosing the Tigers over offers from Alabama, Florida, Auburn, Oregon, Texas, Michigan, LSU, Iowa and Florida State, among others. 

Before he entered the transfer portal, Dudley was dismissed by head coach Dabo Swinney for a “violation of team rules.” 

Swinney discussed Dudley at the recent ACC Kickoff preseason media event, saying he thought the freshman linebacker, “had a chance to be a really great player for us this year.”

Swinney wished his former player the best. “It was a disappointing situation because he’s a good kid and a man,” Swinney explained. “He had a chance to be a great player for us this year, so that definitely hurts us. It’s unfortunate, but we’ve got rules and sometimes it’s just best to get a fresh start. We wish him well.”

Because he entered the portal after the window had closed, it’s possible Dudley will need to seek a waiver from the NCAA in order to be eligible immediately.

There is no doubt Dudley is a very talented player who will bring an elite skill set to the linebacker position. He joins an Ole Miss transfer portal class that currently sits at No. 6 in the nation in the 247Sports national rankings for 2023.