Auburn Adds Commitment from Son of Former San Francisco 49ers 1st-Round Pick

The Auburn Tigers continue to roll in recruiting with its latest commitment coming from the nation's No. 5 wide receiver Devin Carter.
Top recruit Devin Carter will be a dynamic wide receiver for Auburn
Top recruit Devin Carter will be a dynamic wide receiver for Auburn /

Auburn continues to build its wide receiver room with top-notch recruiting wins. For the class of 2026, the latest commitment comes from the Peach State and wide receiver Devin Carter.

The son of former Florida State running back and 1990 NFL first round pick Dexter Carter, this young man has serious talent and upside. The ability to separate from defensive backs is why MaxPreps has Carter’s 2024 statistics with 41 receptions, 669 yards, and 5 touchdowns. 

The nation's No. 5 wide receiver and No. 26 player regardless of position by ESPN, Carter is playing within a balanced offense at Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County. That does mean fewer touches, but Carter makes the most of each chance. Watching the various HUDL game videos provides definitive information for why he’s one of the nation’s most highly sought-after recruits.

Auburn currently has the No. 6 recruiting class in the nation according to 247Sports.

There’s one play in particular that stands out.

Carter’s ability to tightrope the sideline, make a leaping grab, and come down inbounds indicates his athletic gifts and football awareness. Making that play against Carrollton High School makes it an even more important play as that’s one of the best teams in Georgia. The speed to get open is also a major reason why Carter brought in that catch, but there are more key points from his film.

He catches the football well in traffic, finds the open areas in a zone, and makes difficult catches look routine. Beyond Carter’s sheer speed, perhaps his next best trait would be his hand-eye coordination. That serves him well now and he will continue to do so as a member of Auburn’s football team. He’s going to be playing with other top-notch receivers which makes him even more dangerous.

At the prep level, the 6-foot and 165-pound Carter sees bracket coverage, safeties sliding to his side of the formation, and a variety of defenses attempting to slow him down. The Tigers are building a tremendous wide receiver room. That’s why he’s far less likely to see extra attention.

Whether Carter lines up at the slot position or out wide, he’s also going to be playing with other big-time athletes and pass catchers like Malcolm Simmons, Cam Coleman, Bryce Cain, Sam Turner, Erick Smith, and Derick Smith. In short, it will be hard for any of Auburn’s future opponents to just focus on one wide receiver. That will help Carter make plays in a variety of ways.

While catching the deep ball is something he does well, do not discount Carter’s ability to catch screens and short passes because they can be just as effective. Carter’s ability to make defenders miss after the catch will present problems for opposing defenses. 

Again, it’s so important to note that he’s likely to receive single coverage most of the time. That’s why making the first defender miss can lead to huge gains and long touchdowns. 

Carter still has one more season to play for Douglas County, but Auburn fans should be excited about him joining the program in 2026.


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Brian Smith
BRIAN SMITH