Ohio State safety Ja'Had Carter enters transfer portal
COLUMBUS — Ohio State safety Ja’Had Carter entered the transfer portal Sunday night, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
Carter spent one season with the Buckeyes after a successful three-year career at Syracuse.
He transferred to Ohio State last winter but went down with a right knee injury on Student Appreciation Day, limiting the All-ACC performer the rest of the spring season.
That said, Carter returned for training camp and inserted himself into the starting free safety conversation.
“There are certain guys when they mess up a play in practice,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said last offseason, “they come over and you say, ‘Hey, when they do this, you have to do that.’ Then they go out there the next series, and they do it. He did. That’s impressive. That gives you goosebumps. OK, this kid, he takes the coaching right there and changes the production on the field. Not a lot of guys can do that.”
Despite Carter’s experience and coach-ability, he was edged out by not only sixth-year veteran Josh Proctor at the free safety spot but also then-true freshman Malik Hartford.
Carter played only 124 defensive snaps with the Buckeyes in 2023, per Pro Football Focus, maxing out with a season-high 48 against Youngstown State in Week 2 when he took over for Hartford, who got the nod for an injured Proctor.
Carter missed time during the season with a leg injury he suffered against Penn State while on kick return team.
Carter had just a handful of offers coming out of high school, even after a year at Jireh Prep Academy in Matthews, North Carolina. Before going the prep school route, Carter played for Henrico High School in Richmond, Virginia. As a junior, he posted 40 tackles and seven interceptions, in addition to 63 receptions for 1,233 yards and 11 scores on the other side of the ball.
Carter then was named to the 2018 American Family Insurance All-USA Virginia Second Team by USA TODAY. He wound up signing with Syracuse, where he spent the first three years of his career. Carter made a name for himself in the process, far exceeding his recruiting prospects.
The 6-foot-1, 203-pound safety made an immediate impact, starting 10 games as a true freshman. He was second on the team with 65 total tackles, not to mention his two interceptions, three pass break-ups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Carter made eight more starts as a sophomore and was sidelined for the other four games. While he finished with 30 fewer total tackles that season, he did cut down his missed tackle percentage from 19.3% to 5.9%, per PFF.
Last year, his third straight as a starter, was the best of Carter’s career. He registered the best PFF coverage grade (70.7) to date, allowing just 22 receptions on 33 targets for a mere 169 yards. The longest catch he conceded went for 19 yards. What’s more, he picked off three passes and gave up only one touchdown.
Perhaps Carter’s most memorable Syracuse outing took place that year at Clemson, where he made nine total tackles, intercepted a pass and returned a fumble 90 yards for six.
As for Ohio State, the Buckeyes now have six scholarship safeties: Caleb Downs, Lathan Ransom, Hartford, Jayden Bonsu, Jaylen McClain and Leroy Roker.
