Tahveon Nicholson, a former defensive back for Illinois, has joined Louisville’s transfer portal class. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback switched from Ole Miss, where he had been committed since early December, to the Cardinals on Wednesday night.
Nicholson attended Illinois for four seasons, starting the final two, and has one more season of eligibility. He finished 2023 with 36 tackles, two of which were for a loss, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Against Indiana, he equaled his career high of six tackles, a figure he also recorded against Wisconsin in 2022.
He was a starter for the 2022 Illini defence, which led the country in interceptions and finished first in pass efficiency defence. The Howard Griffith Impact Player Award for Illinois went to him.
The product of Jacksonville, Florida, was a three-star prospect in the 2020 class and did see action in his first season in Champaign, Illinois. Nicholson racked up 66 tackles over the next three seasons, including three for a loss. In addition, he forced three fumbles, intercepted one pass, and recorded 15 passes defensed.
Nicholson was chosen twice for the Academic All-Big Ten team.
Nicholson, a prospect out of Riverside High School in Jacksonville, decided to commit to the Illini rather than Florida Atlantic. Leading Riverside on both ends of the court, he ranked second nationally and was noted as an athletic during the recruiting process.
Nicholson is the No. 26 cornerback in the country according to 247Sports, which awarded him a transfer grade of 88, or a high three star.
Three athletes, including Nicholson, switched their Ole Miss commitments to Louisville. He joins three-star safety Tamarion McDonald and four-star edge Tyler Baron, who is ranked as the nation’s 14th best transfer prospect.
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