All-Conference DT reportedly sets transfer visits to two major college football programs

The college football transfer portal officially opened Friday, meaning schools can actually start calling players and setting up recruiting visits (within the rules, at least).

Jacksonville State defensive tackle Talan Carter has already lined up two visits to a pair of programs coming off breakthrough seasons.

The 6-foot-1, 300-pound DT will visit Vanderbilt on Friday and Texas Tech on Monday, 247Sports reported.

Carter, who is from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, had a big sophomore season with 57 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hurries and 2 passes batted down for a Jacksonville State team that went 9-5 overall and 7-1 in Conference USA.

Carter was a second-team All-Conference USA selection and has two years of eligibility remaining.

Talan Carter is set to take visits to Vanderbilt (Jan. 2) and Texas Tech (Jan. 5), @thebizofathlete tells @mzenitz and @chris_hummer. https://t.co/4QXSnarqVz
— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) January 2, 2026

Texas Tech is a particularly interesting potential landing spot as the Red Raiders notably spent big in the portal last year to build an elite defensive line, but they have to replace AP All-America second-team DT Lee Hunter, while fellow DT A.J. Holmes Jr. has a decision to make on his future and potentially declaring for the NFL draft.

The Red Raiders went 12-2, winning the Big 12 and losing in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals Thursday to Oregon, a season that has now raised expectations in Lubbock, Texas, moving forward. Texas Tech was one of the most aggressive teams in the transfer portal last year and should be again, with significant NIL funding to work with as it reloads its roster.

The result of its substantial investments along the defensive line last cycle resulted in college football's best rush defense (68.14 yards per game allowed), and Carter would be an intriguing replacement for Hunter (or Holmes).

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt is coming off the best season in program history, winning 10 games for the first time ever. The standards have certainly changed for the Commodores under coach Clark Lea, who opted to remain with his alma mater rather than consider other jobs last month.

The expectation is that Vanderbilt will invest around him to continue building rosters capable of competing in the SEC and nationally.

Carter had a 77 PFF grade this season, which is above average on the scale. He had six games with at least 6 tackles, which is excellent production for a defensive tackle.

That included a game against Western Kentucky in which he notched 7 solo tackles, and he followed it up the next week in the Conference USA championship game with 7 total tackles (3 solo) and a sack in a 19-15 loss to Kennesaw State.