The Clemson football program heads into the 2024 college football season with one of the best defenses in the country and one of the best defensive players.
Carter, projected as an early-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, turned heads by opting to return to Clemson. This unexpected decision underscores his dedication to refining his game and boosting his draft stock for 2025. Last season, Carter stood out in 11 games, finishing second on the team with 59 tackles, adding nine tackles for loss, and contributing three sacks.
Recently, 247Sports/CBS Sports released their preseason All-America teams, with Carter named second-team defense All-American. Linebacker is a tough spot to land in the first-team at with some ridiculous talent at the position heading into this season.
Ahead of Carter is LSU’s Harold Perkins, Iowa’s Jay Higgins, and Oklahoma’s Danny Stutsman. Statistically, Carter was likely the worst of the four players last season, but from a talent perspective, I’d argue he’s No. 2 behind Perkins. LSU’s star linebacker had a similar 2023, where he was great but not quite as good as people expected.
Carter will prove why he should be a first-team selection as the centerpiece of the Tigers’ defense.