Carlisle played college football for the Florida Gators, where he was a member of a national championship team.

[3] Carlisle graduated from McComb in 1995 and, according to the Enterprise Journal, was the most sought-after college football recruit that year.

He was a first-team Mississippi all-state selection as a senior, and received high school All-America honors from Blue Chip Illustrated and USA Today.

[3] As a senior in 1999, he was a team captain and a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection.

[4] Carlisle was recognized as an SEC Academic Honor Roll honoree all four years,[4] and graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1999.