The Ohio State football programed gained its first big win of the 2022-23 transfer cycle when it received a commitment from former Syracuse safety, Ja’Had Carter. The rising fourth-year player has two years of eligibility remaining. He has been terrific for the Orange, making the freshman All-American teams in his first year, followed by a solid sophomore year and a better junior year.
Carter was a menace with takeaways this season, grabbing three interceptions to go along with a fumble recovery that he took to the house. He played his best football in a three-game stretch against Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, and Clemson. Carter had 20 tackles, 3 picks, and a fumble recovery during that run.
It wasn’t easy finding highlights for Carter, but from what I did find, Buckeye nation should be pretty excited about the potential of the 6-foot-2-inch, 198-pound transfer.
Carter is always around the ball, even if he’s not making plays. His instincts are great, which is why he picked off multiple passes this fall. Carter has the speed to make up ground and that translates when he comes up to play the run.
The sophomore Ja’Had Carter with an INT for Syracuse 😤 pic.twitter.com/dx9Zxq8sCG
— The Transfer Portal CFB (@TPortalCFB) October 22, 2022
The versatility that Carter has is just so impressive. One play he can read the run and come up to make the stop. The next, as the single-high safety, make the right read, keep his proper depth and come away with a pick.
Ja'Had Carter (#1, boundary safety) had 10 tackles and an interception against Pitt this year. Here are three plays from the first drive of that game. pic.twitter.com/NfJVuHaTG6
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) January 3, 2023
There is a reason Carter was viewed as the best safety in the transfer portal this cycle. Ohio State head coach Ryan Day knew that he was losing at least one of his starting safeties in Ronnie Hickman and found a replacement that should be plug-and-play for Jim Knowles' defense next fall.
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