Clemson landed a big-time commitment on Tuesday when Barrett Carter announced his verbal pledge to the Tigers.
In this feature, The Clemson Insider gives an in-depth breakdown on the newest addition to Clemson’s 2021 recruiting class:
Barrett Carter Profile:
Position: LB
Hometown (High School): Suwanee, Ga. (North Gwinnett)
Height, Weight: 6-1, 210
Power Five Offers: Clemson, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Colorado, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington State, West Virginia
Ratings/Rankings: 4-star, No. 2 ILB, No. 3 state, No. 37 national (Rivals); 4-star, No. 7 OLB, No. 9 state, No. 74 national (247Sports); 4-star, No. 11 OLB, No. 12 state, No. 104 national (ESPN)
How Clemson got him:
Carter received an offer from Clemson when he visited Death Valley for the Florida State game last October, then returned to campus for the Tigers’ junior day in early March.
It was Carter’s first non-gameday visit to Clemson, so he was able to see how the coaches operate in a normal environment and how they interact with recruits and parents. Carter also had a chance to speak extensively with Dabo Swinney after only getting to have a brief conversation with Clemson’s head coach during his previous visit. To say Swinney impressed Carter might be an understatement.
“Coach Swinney, he’s a legend to me,” Carter said. “He’s one of the best coaches in college football, but he’s also a really good man, and that speaks volumes when trying to choose a school because you don’t just want a coach that’s all about football and everything. The way that he can balance both and be a great man also, that’s huge. And all the coaches are really the same way. They’re all men of faith, so that’s huge to me.”
In February, Carter announced a top 11 of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Duke, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, LSU, Ohio State and Oklahoma. All of those schools recruited him hard, but his recruitment ultimately boiled down to Clemson, Georgia, Auburn and Ohio State.
In the end, several factors set the Tigers apart from Carter’s other suitors, including their coaching staff continuity, graduation rate and production of NFL talent. Overall, Clemson just felt like home for him.
What Clemson is getting:
Carter will add a fast, physical presence in the middle of Clemson’s defense. He runs a sub-4.6 40-yard dash at around 220 pounds and is well-built with a strong, sturdy frame but still has room to grow physically at the next level. Especially athletic for his position, Carter is a sideline-to-sideline player and has the speed to chase ballcarriers down. His quickness also shows up when blitzing, both up the middle and off the edge. Carter tracks the ball well and closes on the ball fast. Once he makes contact with an opposing player, he does so violently and makes his presence felt as a hitter. Carter has also shown the ability to be solid in coverage as well.
What his commitment means:
Not only did the Tigers poach one of the top prospects from the Peach State, but they beat out the in-state Bulldogs to do so. Georgia was long considered the favorite to land Carter before Clemson made its move, so this is a big recruiting victory for the Tigers and a nice feather in Swinney’s cap.
Carter is a great fit for Brent Venables’ defense and figures to be a major impact player for the Tigers in the future.
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