Michael Carter is an American football running back and currently plies his trade in the NFL with the New York Jets. He signed with the Jets in the 2021 NFL Draft as a 4th round 107th overall pick.

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Who is Michael Carter?

Michael Carter was born on May 7th, 1999 in Navarre, Florida, and did his high schooling at Navarre High School there. He was a star athlete there, rushing 2,536 yards and 45 touchdowns, thereby getting named as Florida Offensive Player of the Year by USA Today. 

He committed to play his college football at the University of North Carolina for the North Carolina Tar Heels, choosing this program over offers from Florida, Mississippi State, and Tennessee, among others. 

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In 2017, his freshman year, Carter rushed 97 times for 559 yards and 8 touchdowns, followed by a sophomore season where he rushed 84 times for 597 yards, and two touchdowns. In his junior year, 2019, after a season in which he had rushed for 1,003 yards and three touchdowns, he was named in the third team All-Atlantic Coast Conference and placed on the watchlists for potential Doan Walker and Paul Hornung winners going into his senior season.  

He finished his senior year with the Tar Heels having covered 1,245 rushing yards and 9 rushing touchdowns to go along with 267 receiving yards and two more scores. Also, on the same day, he and teammate Javonte Williams were named Pro Football Focus first-team All-Americans for the running back position, and he made it as a finalist for the 2020 Paul Hornung Award. He further opted out of the Orange Bowl matchup that year in order to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. 

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At the NFL Draft, Carter was drafted by the New York Jets as the 107th overall pick in the 4th round of the draft. Interestingly, his namesake Michael Carter II was also picked by the Jets in the same draft, as the 154th pick. 

Carter made his first NFL start in Week 3 of his rookie season and scored his first career touchdown a game week later in a 27-24 win against the Tennessee Titans. He finished his 2021 rookie campaign 4th amongst rookies for rushing yards, having made 147 carries for 639 rushing yards as well as four rushing touchdowns to go with 36 receptions for 325 receiving yards.