Star Clemson football player announces he’ll return for 2024 season

One of Clemson football’s top defenders is running it back.

Junior linebacker Barrett Carter will return to the Tigers for his senior season, he announced Thursday via social media. Carter, an every-game starter for Clemson at weak-side linebacker, was second-team All ACC in 2023.

“After careful consideration and a lot of prayer, I’ve decided that I have some unfinished business to attend to,” Carter wrote. “Therefore I will be returning for my senior year at Clemson to finish what I have started. Go Tigers!”

The former five-star recruit was second on the team this season with 63 total tackles and also had nine tackles for loss, six quarterback pressures, three sacks and three pass breakups in 11 games, all starts.

He was considered an upper-round NFL Draft prospect. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked Carter as the sixth-best outside linebacker prospect if he decided to leave.

In 2022, he became only the fifth Power Five conference player since 2019 to record 10 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions in a single season. Coach Dabo Swinney has often called Carter one of the best and most versatile pure football players he’s coached.

Carter’s return is a big boost for a Clemson linebacking corps that lost starting middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. to the NFL Draft last month and, had Carter left as well, would’ve entered 2024 without much experience in that group. Carter joins rotational player Wade Woodaz and backups Kobe McCloud, Dee Crayton and Jamal Anderson as returning scholarship linebackers for 2024.

Clemson also will sign five-star 2024 linebacker Sammy Brown later this month.

With Carter’s return confirmed, Clemson has answers on almost all of its NFL Draft prospects. Trotter and cornerback Nate Wiggins are leaving early for the draft and won’t play in the bowl game, and defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro (who was out of eligibility) will also skip the Dec. 29 Gator Bowl vs. Kentucky.

Defensive end Xavier Thomas will play in the bowl game, he said, before pursuing an NFL career. Defensive tackle Tyler Davis hasn’t announced if he’ll play in the bowl game, and junior running back Will Shipley hasn’t announced if he’ll return to Clemson in 2024 or pursue a pro career (or possibly transfer).