Clemson football, Dabo pick up two new transfer portal commitments
Clemson football earned two transfer commitments on Tuesday.
Cal linebacker Luke Ferrelli and Old Dominion safety Jerome Carter III committed to the Tigers and coach Dabo Swinney after visiting campus on Tuesday, both players told Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports.
Ferrelli is a rising redshirt sophomore and will have three years of eligibility left. In 2025, he was named the ACC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year after recording 91 total tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and an interception in 13 games.
Carter started all 13 games at safety for ODU, recording 75 total tackles (third on the team) and six interceptions (tied for No. 2 nationally). He was named All-Sun Belt as a sophomore and joins Clemson will two years of eligibility remaining.
Ferrelli (6-3, 230) finished tied for 10th in the ACC in total tackles and 11th in tackles per game (7.31). He had three games with double-digit tackles and also displayed some chops in pass coverage with a game-ending interception vs. Boston College.
That production came after Ferrelli, a former three-star recruit, redshirted and did not play a single snap for Cal in 2024.
It’s a big-time acquisition for Clemson, which is losing senior starting linebacker Wade Woodaz to graduation. With Ferrelli in the fold, the Tigers now have a proven contributor to start beside star rising junior LB Sammy Brown.
Carter (6-1, 190) could be an equally impactful commitment for Clemson, which has a big gap to fill at safety after starters Khalil Barnes and Ricardo Jones transferred out. On top of his 75 tackles and six interceptions, Carter also recorded 2.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and two QB hurries.
Ferrelli and Carter join Penn State defensive back Elliot Washington II. All three portal commits so far have been on defense, where coordinator Tom Allen has made it known he wanted upgrades.
Clemson football 2025-26 transfer portal
Transfers in (3)
- Penn State DB Elliot Washington II
- Cal LB Luke Ferrelli
- Old Dominion DB Jerome Carter III
Transfers out (14)
- ATH Marquise Henderson (offseason, dismissed from team)
- DB Shelton Lewis (mid-season)
- LB Dee Crayton
- RB Keith Adams Jr.
- S Khalil Barnes (Georgia)
- LB Jamal Anderson
- S Rob Billings
- TE Josh Sapp
- DE Caden Story
- DT Stephiylan Green (LSU)
- DE Markus Dixon
- S Ricardo Jones
- DT Champ Thompson
- OL Rowan Byrne
This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 3:01 PM.
