Clemson recruiting at high level with addition of nation's No. 2 ILB

Carter committed to Clemson Tuesday evening.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Tue May 19 20:24:41 GMT-05:00 2020

Clemson continues to recruit at an extremely high level.

Tuesday evening, 4-star linebacker Barrett Carter announced his decision to commit to Clemson over top four finalists Ohio State, Auburn, and Georgia. Carter announced his decision on FOX 5 Atlanta. He wore a sweatshirt that he unzipped to reveal a dark Clemson shirt with the iconic orange Tiger paw in the middle, saying that he would further his education in the Upstate.

"I could visit Clemson a million times and I would have butterflies before every visit," Carter said. "The coaching stability, how they produce talent, and how they graduate players... that all spoke volumes to me.”

He then went on to say that there is something special about Tigertown.

"Everyone always tells you there is something in the water at Clemson,” Carter said. “I can see that, I can’t really explain it."

NCAA rules prohibit recruits from visiting college campuses, and Carter said he wanted to take his visits. However, he knew that Clemson was where he wanted to be.

“I really wanted to take my officials, but I just I couldn't wait any longer I was ready," Carter continued. "Clemson, there's such a great balance of academics and sport so, it's a school that can balance both of those. And I cannot find that. That's kind of the school that I want to be with."

Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables likes how North Gwinnett uses Carter all over the field, and compared it to another linebacker who was recently selected with the No. 8 overall pick in the recent NFL Draft – Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons.

“I am not 6-4, I am just 6-1, but I am a shorter version of Isaiah because of how versatile and athletic I am. That is a huge compliment to me,” Carter said. “I would say that I am very versatile. I can cover anybody on the field. I can also play in the box. I am sideline to sideline and I am pretty fast. I can cover a lot of ground and make plays all over. My versatility is what sets me apart. I can make plays all over the field. It's my dream to play in the NFL, so to see how he develops linebackers speaks volumes to me.”

Carter also likes what he sees with head coach Dabo Swinney.

“I am very comfortable with Clemson and the city. I felt at home at Clemson,” Carter said. “It's a great environment there. The coaching staff is so welcoming. I love how Coach Swinney is very Christ-based. That sticks out about a coach.”

Despite the travel restrictions, Clemson is having a stellar month of May. The Tigers have added 5-star running back Will Shipley and Carter. That gives Clemson 11 total commitments for the 2021 class and moving their team ranking to third nationally, and first in the ACC.

Boom. Barrett Carter is a Tiger. pic.twitter.com/jzHjXMawa8
— Tiger Commenter (@TigerCommenter) May 19, 2020

life is a gamble, don’t be scared to take that risk..

Happy Birthday Mom, this one is for my family. ??

1000% Committed. #ALLIN ?????? pic.twitter.com/KTMQCB3Cjx
— barrett carter (@bcsznn) May 19, 2020

#Clemson adds Top247 LB Barrett Carter to the No. 1 recruiting class in America when looking at @247Sports Composite Average Ranking Per commit. The North Gwinnett (Ga.) standout is in the discussion as the nation's top LB himself too: https://t.co/Jg5Y5wPI7B https://t.co/OHrlMt3qHE
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) May 19, 2020

.@bcsznn on teaming with @jordanhancock_7 again in college: "It's going to be awesome. We already make a lot of noise in high school and we're going to make a lot of noise in college too. We are going to bring a national championship to Clemson."
— Anna Hickey (@AnnaH247) May 19, 2020

GREAT DAY TO BE A CLEMSON TIGER!!! #We2Deep21
??????????????????????
— Jordan Sorrells (@SorrellsJordan) May 19, 2020

New #Clemson 4-star LB commit Barrett Carter ranks No. 3 in Georgia for @Rivals.

The Tigers signed one of Ga.'s top 2 recruits each of the previous 4 years and a top-3 through 2016, with Mitch Hyatt (5) breaking the streak to Deshaun Watson in '14.

A HUGE key to their success. pic.twitter.com/qn5Jiqk7wq
— Paul Strelow (@PaulStrelowTI) May 19, 2020

4-star LB commit Barrett Carter (@bcsznn) modeled a No. 1 jersey during his visit, the same number he wore in high school ????

Now, he’s made his decision. Welcome to the #ClemsonFamily! #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/lD8Hwu89ur
— Clemson Uniform Tracker (@ClemsonUniforms) May 19, 2020

#Clemson gets a commitment from ESPN 300 linebacker Barrett Carter.

His commitment gives the Tigers 10 ESPN 300 commitments in the class, 9 of which are in the top 150 and 7 are ranked in the top 10 at their respective positions. pic.twitter.com/z9OeLlnDEl
— Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH) May 19, 2020

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A post shared by Tom VanHaaren | ESPN Reporter (@tomvanhaaren) on May 19, 2020 at 3:59pm PDT

ALL IN??......we not done??
— Beaux ?? (@beaux_collins) May 19, 2020

I've been covering new #Clemson commit Barrett Carter for a couple of years, and for me, he's a combination of 2 other linebackers I got very familiar with. #ALLIN

1- Owen Pappoe: The athleticism, coverage and run.

2- Nakobe Dean: The physicality, tackling and instincts. pic.twitter.com/gJERSUmLvA
— ChadSimmons_ (@ChadSimmons_) May 19, 2020