CC #53

Claudin Cherelus

Linebacker · Alcorn State

An undrafted find out of Alcorn State, Claudin Cherelus fought from waiver claims to a starting inside linebacker job for Carolina by the end of the 2025 season.

Claudin Cherelus took a winding road to becoming a regular contributor in Carolina's front seven, starting his college career at UMass before transferring to Alcorn State and eventually getting claimed off waivers from the Jets. By December 2025 he was starting games for the Panthers, a career-best stretch for the Haitian-American linebacker.

★ Career-high 32 tackles in 2025

★ Became a starting inside linebacker for Carolina in December 2025

★ 73 tackles, 6.0 sacks, and 14.5 tackles for loss in his final Alcorn State season

Path to the league

Cherelus played college football at UMass before transferring to Alcorn State, where in 2022 he posted 73 tackles, 6.0 sacks, a team-high 14.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, and an interception. He went undrafted and signed with the New York Jets before being claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers.

Career highlights

Cherelus has built his NFL career as a special-teams contributor and depth linebacker, steadily earning more defensive snaps with Carolina. His breakout came late in the 2025 season when he stepped into a starting inside linebacker role.

2025 season recap

Cherelus set a career high with 32 tackles and a pass defended across 14 games in 2025, missing three games due to injury. He took over as one of Carolina's starting inside linebackers in December after Trevin Wallace was placed on injured reserve, and battled through a calf and ankle injury to be available for the Panthers' wild-card playoff game against the Rams. He re-signed with Carolina this offseason.