One of the nation’s top safety prospects in the 2025 class is Martels Carter Jr. (5-11 179) of Paducah, KY. Over 40 schools have offered. That includes Clemson which made their offer last summer. That offer came after Carter visited for the Orange & White Spring Game in April
Carter was back at Clemson last season for the Notre Dame game. He also made stops during the season at Georgia, Tennessee, Florida State, Oregon, Virginia Tech, Louisville, Kentucky and Colorado.
Some of the other top offers for Carter included Georgia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Southern Cal, Auburn, Florida and Florida State. Clemson safeties coach Mickey Conn was among the recruiters to check in on Carter before the dead period hit. He appreciated that visit and also appreciates the fact Clemson doesn’t load up on transfers.
“To me, I just think it’s very important because with this Transfer Portal and how the world is nowadays,” Carter said. . “I really look at it as appreciation that I’m taking my footsteps in the right way, getting awarded for it. Something that I’m doing correctly. The way Clemson is about the Transfer Portal, that’s very important just to know that you still got a chance to do your dream and not worry about that affecting you at all.”
Cartre added that he and Conn have developed a solid relationship during the recruiting process.
“Good. Like family. Coach Conn and I, we don’t go way back, but it feels like that because every time he has a chance to see me, he comes and sees me,” Carter said. “Now that he can talk to me, now he comes to me. We talk all the time. He sees me (playing) everywhere. He loves how I play, how I’m aggressive. In their defense, they go out and play man most of the time. So he loves it. I love to play man. And he sees me like Isaiah Simmons. He sees me as a player that can play all the positions like him and move around. So a jack of all trades, really. And that’s what I like to do.”
Conn has got Clemson strongly in the mist for Carter along with Oregon and Kentucky. He visited Kentucky last weekend. He will go to Oregon for a three day visit in March, and he will get to Clemson for a spring practice or two near the end of March.
The Clemson culture, Carter said, is too much for him to overlook as he measures the schools against each other.
“It’s just how they carry themselves,” he said. “It’s Clemson and it’s football. You look at Clemson, you think of Clemson, you think of family, and you think of strong defense. That’s all I’m about. I’m all about family and making it to the next level.”
Carter played for Rome, GA High in 2021, then Brainerd High in Chattanooga in 2022. That season he had 47 tackles with seven pass breakups and three interceptions. He also played quarterback and had over 1800 yards of total offense with 21 touchdowns. Last season he was at Tilghman in Paducah and played on both sides of the ball. As a receiver he caught 35 passes for over 900 yards and 10 touchdowns.