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Virginia Defensive Tackle Jahmeer Carter Coming Back for Sixth Year

Aidan Baller

Virginia Athletics
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Virginia's defensive line continues to look better and better headed into 2025, with defensive tackle Jahmeer Carter announcing his return to Charlottesville for a sixth and final season with Virginia football. Carter announced the news via social media on Thursday afternoon.

Carter's return to Charlottesville will bolster a Virginia defensive line that has already added three players from the transfer portal in Jacob Holmes (Fresno State), Cazeem Moore (Elon), and Hunter Osborne (Alabama) and retained sophomores Anthony Britton and Jason Hammond, who missed the last eight games of the season due to a shoulder injury after being a bright spot in the early part of the season. 

The Cavaliers lose Chico Bennett and Kam Butler to exhausted eligibility and Bryce Carter, Michael Diatta, and Ben Smiley III to the transfer portal. Still, with players such as Carter returning to the program and with the players they have acquired through the portal, the Hoos are hopeful to take a step forward on the defensive line in 2025.

Carter played his first season at Virginia in 2020, appearing in nine of the ten games, recording 14 tackles and half a sack. In 2021, Carter appeared in all 12 games, starting in ten, and recorded 23 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one pass deflection, showing the length of his 6'2", 302-pound frame. 

In 2022, Carter added 29 tackles before registering 35 tackles, two tackles for loss, and one sack in 2023. The one sack helped Virginia upset the then-No. 10 North Carolina Tar Heels 31-27, giving Virginia football its first-ever top ten win on the road. His contributions and leadership led him to be named one of five team captains at the conclusion of the season. 

This past season, Carter again showed his value to the Virginia defensive line as a run stopper, recording 33 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass deflection. For his career, Carter had 134 tackles, 45 solo stops, 7.5 tackles flor loss, and 2.5 sacks in 55 games played.

The defensive tackle from Baltimore, Maryland, chose the Hoos over Boston College, Howard, and Temple coming out of high school in 2019 and will now spend a sixth and final season in Charlottesville. 

Carter's return will strengthen a UVA defense that finished 11th in the ACC in rushing defense in 2024, allowing 145.3 yards per game. He will also look to help a Virginia pass rush that only registered 19 sacks in 2024, second to last in the ACC.

Keep track of all of UVA's transfer portal activity, including outgoing and incoming transfers, here: Virginia Football Transfer Portal Tracker

Stay up to date on all of the transfers who have received offers from Virginia or who have scheduled visits to UVA here: Tracking UVA Football's Offers and Visits in the Transfer Portal

More Virginia Football News

UVA Football: Reevaluating Virginia's Transfer Portal Needs

Virginia to Host Washington State WR Carlos Hernandez for Visit

Kam Robinson Returning to UVA Football for 2025 Season

Grading Virginia Football's Transfer Portal Pickups So Far

Where are UVA Football's Outbound Transfers Landing in the Portal?

UVA Football Lands Alabama DL Transfer Hunter Osborne

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Aidan Baller
AIDAN BALLER

Aidan has been writing for Virginia Cavaliers On SI since January of 2023 and covers UVA football, basketball, men's soccer, and men's lacrosse. He is from New York and is currently in his fourth year at the University of Virginia, enrolled in the M.S. in Accounting program.