Deandre Carter, 4-star California OL, signs Letter of Intent with Auburn
Four-star interior offensive lineman Deandre Carter of Santa Ana (Cal.) Mater Dei signed his National Letter of Intent with Auburn on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.
Position: Interior offensive line
Height/Weight: 6-foot-3.5 / 340 pounds
Notable trait/Auburn fit: Carter is a mauler. He does his best work as a run blocker, but has no problem getting out in space or in pass blocking. He has good feet and plays with a good tenacity on the interior.
On3 Industry Ranking: (91.96) No. 172 overall, No. 9 IOL, No. 16 in California
Commitment date: Sept. 3, 2023
Chose Auburn over: Texas, Michigan State
Time of enrollment: January
Notable: Shortly after Carter’s commitment to Auburn, he took an official visit to Texas. The Longhorns felt as though they pulled off the flip, and Auburn was trending down. Then, the Tigers pulled back in front and have held on to him ever since. It was a close call, though. Regarding his personality, Carter has a permanent smile and a contagious laugh. He is regarded as a kind person who quickly hit it off with everyone on staff at Auburn.
Quoteworthy: “Family, I mean I love everything, but probably the thing that stands out more than the others is probably just like the family atmosphere. A lot of colleges say they have it but I definitely feel it a lot (at Auburn).”
Breakdown
— The few snaps in pass protection on Carter’s film shows he understands the punch. His pass set is somewhat wonky at this point, but he delivers the punch with a straight back. That is some advanced level technique.
— As a run blocker, Carter gets his pads down and drives through his defenders. That is also very advanced for a young player. He is not only using his power advantage, but technique to go with it.
— Carter currently plays left tackle for his high school. It is because he is the most athletic offensive lineman on his team, and it is not close. He is also the biggest. Carter has the skillset and the size to be an elite interior offensive lineman.
— Carter could play tackle, but he is such a good run blocker that he needs to be used on the interior to win those battles in the run game.
SEC readiness
Carter is ready for SEC football from a skillset and physical standpoint. It may takes some time in the weight room to shape up and mature into his frame, but he has the tools to make an early impact. He is one of the more advanced interior offensive linemen in the class.
