Clemson dipped into the transfer portal this offseason and added four defensive backs, including two at the safety position – Corey Myrick from Southern Miss and Jerome Carter III from Old Dominion.

Myrick and Carter are both quality portal pickups. In fact, they are two of the highest-graded transfer safeties this offseason, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF).

Myrick (87.3) leads the way as the highest-graded transfer safety in all of college football, per PFF, which also ranks Carter (76.3) as the eighth highest-graded transfer safety.

Both players have two seasons of eligibility remaining, and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said last month that the staff hit on their top safety targets in Myrick and Carter.

“We got our top two safeties,” Swinney said. “We went after these two guys, and we got both of them. Jerome Carter from ODU and Corey Myrick from Southern Miss. Both are juniors. These guys are long and they can run.”

“They are both all-conference players,” Swinney added. “These are really good football players. They really fit and align with who we are.”

Myrick played his first college season at Marshall in 2024 and then his second at Southern Miss in 2025. He arrived at Clemson credited with 95 tackles (4.5 for loss), four pass breakups, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 21 games (12 starts). As a sophomore, he posted 92 tackles — third-most on Southern Miss’ squad — with 4.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 13 games (12 starts).

According to PFF, Myrick allowed only one touchdown in 384 coverage snaps last season, with a 53.7 passer rating allowed and a coverage grade of 86.2.

Meanwhile, Carter played 25 games and made 12 starts in his first two college campaigns at Old Dominion from 2024-25, tallying 98 tackles (2.5 for loss), six interceptions and three pass breakups over those two seasons. He earned second-team All-Sun Belt honors as a sophomore last season when he started 12 of 13 games and collected 75 tackles (2.5 for loss), a school-record six interceptions and two pass breakups. His six interceptions tied Clemson’s Ricardo Jones (who is now headed to play for Vanderbilt) and others for second-most in the FBS.

Carter is the son of Jerome Carter Jr., who played defensive back at Florida State from 2001-04 and was a fourth-round selection of the St. Louis Rams in 2005.