USC offers nation’s No. 3 safety Dontae Carter, Cali native

One of a handful of offers dished out by USC yesterday was to 2024 safety Dontae Carter out of Cibolo (Tex.) Steele. The offer is an intriguing one as it looks like USC will be working to flip Carter away from his current commitment.

Carter, the No. 3-ranked safety in the On300 for the 2024 recruiting class, has been a piece of Vanderbilt’s class since July.

Since committing, Carter’s stock has continued to sore, picking up offers from a number of programs recently, including USC and Georgia. It’s no surprise to see his recruitment pick up steam looking at his electric start to his senior year.

According to MaxPreps, in four games played, Carte has 26 total tackles and has notched three interceptions with four pass deflections. He also has one reception on offense, which went for 45-yards and a touchdown.

Carter, the No. 48 overall player in the country, spoke with On3’s Sam Spiegelman about his commitment to the Commodores. And USC has a chance to make things interesting down the line.

“I’m committed and not stressed anymore,” he explained. “With USC offering, it really opened my eyes a bit. Growing up in California and knowing that offer is on the table now gets you to wonder a little bit, but not too much … I’m stress-free and plan on playing with my guys and having fun, and whatever comes comes.”

“I’m just going to take a deep breath and a stepback and let this all play out and then go from there,” Carter continued.

The Ranking

I have seen some raise questions about Carter’s ranking. Carter is seen as a three-star prospect by most in the industry, but Charles Power and the rankings team at On3 feel differently about him. They feel he is one of the elite playmaking safeties in the 2024 class, which is reflected in his top-50 status in the On300.

Here is some of his evaluation by On3:

“Rangy safety prospect with arguably the best ball skills at the position in the 2024 cycle. Measured in at around 6-foot-0.5, 175 pounds prior to his senior season. Has a frame to keep adding weight. Owns outstanding length for the position with arms that measure 33 inches. Had a breakout junior season after missing his sophomore year with an injury. Was initially tabbed as a receiver, but excelled in his first year as a safety. Used his ball skills as a former receiver to turn in elite ball production in 2022, picking off 7 passes and breaking up 7 more in his first year as a defensive back. Primarily lined up at safety. Highly instinctive in coverage.”

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