Bio Blast: Antonio Carter II

Kentucky currently has 14 scholarship defensive backs on the 2023 roster. That does not mean that defensive coordinator Brad White is done addressing the secondary.

On Monday night, Kentucky became the second Power Five program to issue an offer to Rhode Island transfer Antonio Carter II. Soon after, multiple other power conference teams have entered this recruitment.

The Wildcats are looking to add another player to the defensive backfield in 2023. Last year, Kentucky added Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith, Texas State transfer Zion Childress, and Division II transfer Jordan Robinson in April. Kentucky could be following that same blueprint in this transfer recruitment.

KSR’s Bio Blast is here to provide a full player profile on the newest Kentucky target.

Central Florida native

The Orlando metro area has not been an area that Kentucky has recruited often under Mark Stoops. However, that is slowly changing as both linebackers coach Mike Stoops and defensive backs coach Chris Collins have some ties to the region.

Some targets are beginning to emerge in 2024 after Kentucky landed top-500 safety Jaremiah Anglin out of Polk County in the 2023 cycle. The Wildcats are now dipping back into the region in the spring transfer window.

Antonio Carter II (6-1, 200) was a 2019 graduate of Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ride who was a team captain as a senior. The unranked recruit had a quiet recruitment that ended with an FCS commitment to Rhode Island over Wagner, Fordham, and Gardner-Webb. Carter’s second recruitment will be busier.

Two-year starter

After taking a redshirt season in 2019, Antonio Carter II played sparingly as a redshirt freshman during the spring FCS season in 2020-21 due to COVID-19. The defensive back returned to South Kingstown in 2021 as a redshirt sophomore and became one of the top defensive players for the Rams.

Carter started 10 games for URI in 2021 (684 snaps) with 45 tackles (33 solo) and six passes defended (six pass breakups). The cornerback earned a solid 71.8 PFF grade allowing just a 53.7 percent catch rate on 54 targets in coverage.

The on-field production would improve in 2022.

As a redshirt junior, Carter started all 11 games for Rhode Island (658 snaps) and finished the year with 60 tackles (40 solo), 4.5 tackles for loss, 12 passes defended (11 pass breakups, one interception), and two forced fumbles. Carter saw his PFF Grade (76.0), missed tackle rate (18.8% to 9.5%), and yard per reception allowed (15.3 to 11.8) each improve.

After getting some safety snaps in the COVID-19 season, Carter made the transition to cornerback rather smoothly with some real progression.

KSR’s scouting report

To learn some more about Antonio Carter II, KSR stepped into the film room. I watched Carter’s 54 snaps in a Week 4 loss to Pittsburgh last season. I’ve put together a quick scouting report write-up on the transfer.

Antonio Carter II is a boundary cornerback in Rhode Island’s zone-heavy scheme. Carter’s best reps were often in off coverage as the defensive back flashes awareness, vision, and feel for space. The cornerback understands leverage and plays within the structure of defense. More than willing to stick his face into the fan to fit the run. Takes on bigger blockers and fights to hold space. Good zone eyes lead to solid play recognition. Strong tackler with effective strike zone. Not an ankle tackler. Good timing and disguise on corner blitzes. Length and size for cornerback position. Best fit in a zone-heavy scheme where physicality, size, and instincts will lead to consistent production.

Kentucky is a zone defense. Antonio Carter II is a zone corner. The interest shown here from the Wildcats makes a bunch of sense.

Carter is a physical player that has shown growth as a tackler. The FCS transfer has the size and instincts to be an effective zone defender and might even have some positional versatility due to his physical play style. The transfer could be a multi-positional defensive back due to his traits.

Will Kentucky record another late transfer wind in the secondary? Antonio Carter II is a target to watch closely over the next week.