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He was the can’t-miss prospect of the Class of 2014, a dazzling blend of speed and size who was going to terrorize SEC quarterbacks and running backs before taking his many talents to the NFL.
A former high school All-American and a much heralded five-star recruit, Lorenzo Carter arrived in Athens with larger-than-life expectations as Georgia’s next great outside linebacker. But the legend of the former Norcross (Ga.) High School star hasn’t quite matched up with the somewhat more mundane reality of his first two college seasons.
Carter still remains somewhat of an enigma as he enters his junior season, a tantalizing talent whose production has yet to come close to matching his immense physical gifts.
Blessed with great speed to go with his 6-foot-6, 242-pound frame, Dawgs fans figured the best was yet to come after Carter flashed tremendous promise as a true freshman in 2014.
Playing time at the Sam (strong side outside linebacker) spot was somewhat limited behind future NFL first-round pick Leonard Floyd, but Carter made the most of his appearance that season. He appeared in all 13 games, starting five, en route to totaling 41 tackles, including seven for losses, and 4.5 sacks.
Carter came on strong by that season’s end, registering a tour-de-force performance at Kentucky with his nine tackles, 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss in his first career start. He followed that effort up with a team-best eight tackles and a fumble recovery in UGA’s Belk Bowl win over Louisville, prompting fans and coaches alike to salivate over his future.
It appeared then that Carter was a lock to hear his name called in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft just like Floyd. But things don’t always work out as planned.
Carter was a non-factor as a sophomore during a largely forgettable 2015 season, totaling just 19 tackles and two forced fumbles while limited to just two starts as Davin Bellamy largely supplanted him in the rotation.
“It was a learning process; I wouldn’t call it a slump,” he said during spring practice, according to the website DawgNation. “ … I played behind a first-rounder. I have to learn. It’s a learning process, the game of football, especially on the highest level, the SEC. You can make plays, but you just have to learn. It’s a grown-man league. You’ve got to be ready.”
Carter had always been the best athlete on the field, but he found that considerably more is required to thrive in the high-fallutin’ SEC. He had proven himself an excellent pass rusher, but there was more to the game that he had yet to master. Being an every-down linebacker in the SEC means being able to consistently play the run, set the edge on other plays and handle opposing fullbacks coming at him in power plays.
It means being as tough as nails and willing to consistently fight through blocks to make plays. Talent is great, but consistency and mental toughness are what coaches most want to see.
New coach Kirby Smart has stated that he’s been happy with what he’s seen so far from Carter, but added he also plans to push and challenge Carter so that he eschews his tendency to relax at times.
He has to like what he’s seen so far.
Carter enjoyed a solid spring practice period, capping it off by becoming one of three defensive players singled out for the Coffee County Hustle Award that goes each spring to players who show the most determination and competitiveness on the practice field. He’ll enter the fall in tight competition with Bellamy for a starting job.
“I’m the biggest critic of myself,” Carter told the website. “I don’t know what other people are saying, but I feel like I’ve just got to make plays. The only way you can do it is to be out there and be involved. So that’s what I’ve been working on.”
This could be his last chance.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
