Louisville football gets some crushing news on one of its hidden gem targets as the Cardinals learned the Clemson Tigers earned Jerome Carter III's commitment. The Cardinals were one of four teams in the running for the star safety's commitment, but it was Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers who won the battle, earning his commitment.
Louisville was in a battle with Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Mississippi State for Carter. After Louisville lost Corey Gordon Jr. to the portal and Jabari Mack and D’Angelo Hutchinson to eligibility, Louisville is looking to try to get its next safety. Carter was emerging as a perfect target for Louisville as he ranked No. 447 in the Transfer Portal and was ranked as the No. 35 safety.
However, it was Clemson who earned his commitment, forcing Louisville to try and find its next defensive back target.
Old Dominion star safety Jerome Carter III is transferring to Clemson 🐅
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) January 6, 2026
Carter was tied for 2nd among all players in the FBS with 6 interceptions this season.
He had 11 tackles against Indiana and 12 against JMU.
The Tigers have now taken 3 transfers. pic.twitter.com/s1oF0Pnaoy
Related: Players in the NCAA Transfer Portal that Louisville football reached out to
Louisville football moves on from elite safety target
Carter was emerging as the perfect target for this Cardinals' secondary, as he was an underrated transfer but was coming off a dominant season for Old Dominion. Carter had a career season last year for the Monarchs as he logged 76 tackles, six interceptions, and two pass deflections.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound safety showed off his skills in multiple games as he earned 10 tackles or more in three games and at least one interception in five games, but his performance in the StaffDNA Cure Bowl against USF stood out from the rest. Carter went on to log four total tackles, all of which were solo tackles, and also added two interceptions and one pass breakup.
His six interceptions were the second highest in FBS, as they were only behind Jakari Foster from Louisiana Tech. Louisville now must move on from Carter and try to find its next safety elsewhere, and a good start is Kansas safety Lyrix Rawls.
Louisville is one of 24 teams in contact with Rawls, as big-time programs like Penn State and Florida State are also linked to the star transfer. The Kansas transfer is ranked as high as No. 311 on the portal and No. 26 at safety. He was an Oklahoma State commit and spent his first three seasons as a Cowboy before having his best collegiate season with Kansas. Louisville’s new safety target earned 72 tackles, seven pass deflections, and one interception in 2025.
Related: 5 win-now players who could commit to Louisville after massive recruiting surge
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