Georgia State Transfer DL Jeffery Clark Commits to Louisville

The former defensive tackle for the Panthers is opting to continue his collegiate career with the Cardinals.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has dipped back into the transfer portal to land yet another impact playmaker.

Jeffery Clark, a defensive lineman who spent the first four seasons of his collegiate career with Georgia State, announced Friday that he has committed to the Cardinals. Louisville beat out Arizona State to land his commitment, and Clark has two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot, 276-pound defensive tackle is coming off of the best season of his career. Playing in all 12 games with six starts in 2022, Clark tallied a team-best 9.5 tackles for loss, while also coming in second on the team in sacks with 4.5. He also collected a career-high 39 total tackles (12 solo), produced 29 total pressure and 18 defensive stops, according to Pro Football Focus.

After redshirting his true freshman campaign in 2019, the Powder Springs, Ga. native went on to have three productive seasons on the line for the Panthers. In 33 career games and 13 starts, amassed 19.5 tackles for loss, 9.0 sacks and 92 total tackles (42 solo). He departed GSU in the top-ten in program history in sacks.

Clark is a big boost to an already relatively deep Louisville defensive line. Not only does he have both experience and production, he gives the Cardinals versatility, as he can play both as a three-technique defensive tackle and defensive end. He'll likely see the most time in the middle of the line and challenge guys like Dezmond Tell and Ramon Puryear for playing time at the DT spot in Ron English/Mark Hagen's system.

Louisville has been incredibly active in the transfer portal since head coach Jeff Brohm was hired in December. While the Cardinals have lost 21 players via the portal since the end of the 2022 regular season, Clark is now the 24th scholarship player to transfer in over the offseason, and the 10th since spring ball ended. UofL also got a PWO commitment from former UNLV quarterback Harrison Bailey earlier this week.

Related: Who's In, Who's Out and Who's Back for Louisville Football in 2023

The Cardinals finished their 2022 season with an overall mark of 8-5 (4-4 in ACC), including a 24-7 win in the Fenway Bowl over Cincinnati. They'll kick off their 2023 season against Georgia Tech in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, Sept. 1.

(Photo of Jeffery Clark via Georgia State Athletics)

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