THE MORNING ROAST: Carter looks to follow in dad's footsteps
Wednesday, January 21, 2009 8
By JASON LLOYD
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IN his first year at Ohio State, Cris Carter tied the freshman scoring record with eight touchdowns. Now his son is headed to Ohio State, perhaps at the perfect time.
Duron Carter could benefit the most by Brian Hartline's early departure for the NFL. The Bucks are short two starting receivers, with what looks like less talent in the cupboard now than usual. DeVier Posey is all but assured a starting job, but Ray Small has been an underachieving head case for three years. There is little proof that will change now.
Dane Sanzenbacher has looked average for two years, perhaps leaving the door open for Carter to play immediately.
Freshman receivers who can play have a tendency of finding ways onto the field under Jim Tressel (Ted Ginn, Brian Robiskie, DeVier Posey). Now Carter could be next.
He is a four-star recruit, according to Rivals.com. The big knock on him is his lack of speed, which is concerning since the offense has never been the same since losing burners like Santonio Holmes, Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez.
Rivals recruiting analyst Jamie Newberg studied Carter for three practices prior to the Under Armour all-star game for high school seniors, though, and insists he has all the intangibles of a star.
"I am convinced that Carter is one of the top wide receivers in the nation," Newberg said in a recent online chat session. "While he's not a speed demon, he finds ways to get open and make plays. It didn't matter who was covering him, Carter would make the catch."
Sounds just like his father, who was known in the NFL for only catching touchdowns. The younger Carter is listed at 6-foot-3 and around 180 pounds.
"He's a terrific route runner, especially for a high school player," Newberg wrote. "Carter has good size and great hands, and can make the circus catch look routine.
It's ironic that Carter is coming to Ohio State just as the Buckeyes appear to be transitioning into a run-oriented option team under Terrelle Pryor.
Cris Carter's decision to attend Ohio State was scrutinized because the program wasn't very far removed from Woody Hayes' insistence on running the ball. With Earle Bruce being a Hayes disciple, there was question over how much Carter would be used.
Carter, of course, was spectacular during his three seasons, making some of the finest catches in school history. He was the first in what became a parade of receiver talent that continues even today.
Duron Carter can't officially become a Buckeye until National Signing Day on Feb. 4. Incidentally, Rivals has Ohio State rated as the No. 2 recruiting class, behind only LSU. All of the last-minute signings around Feb. 4 could change that, but for right now, the Buckeyes seem poised to build off last year's stellar class, which Rivals ranked as fourth-best in the country.
