Boo Carter is quickly becoming a household name for the nation's top collegiate football programs.
Already with 32 Division I scholarship offers, the rising Chattanooga Christian School junior upped his stock over the holiday weekend as Carter helped team TOA win the Pylon 7-on-7 national championship at SeatGeek Stadium in Chicago.
Carter's versatile skill set was on full display in the Windy City. The 6-foot, 180-pound playmaker showcased his burst and separation as a wide receiver along with physicality as he batted up a ball to himself for a touchdown catch in tight coverage. In the secondary, he showed great timing to punch a ball out at the last second from a receiver in 1-on-1 coverage.
"Winning the Pylon national championship was special," said Carter, who streaked downfield on a corner route to catch the game-winning touchdown pass from Tennessee Volunteers 5-star quarterback commit Nico Iamaleava. "Making that final catch was definitely my No. 1 moment, especially coming from a quarterback like Nico. To be playing on this elite level of competition is really a blessing."
Carter has bolted up recruiting boards this summer and is now ranked the 75th top player in the country by Rivals.com for the Class of 2024. He was also recently tabbed as a top 10 defensive back in the nation by Rivals, which has him ranked the No. 2 prospect in Tennessee and 12th best athlete in the country.
In June alone he picked up offers from Missouri and Nebraska while also receiving an offer from Deion Sanders' Jackson State program in May. Carter's list of suitors also includes Cincinnati, Florida State, Tennessee, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ole Miss, Oregon and Penn State to name just a few.
"My goal is to make something out of myself, to be someone in life," Carter said. "Whether it's playing football in the NFL one day or working in sports medicine, those are my goals. I am going to do the same thing I have always done, which is keep grinding and showing love to everyone around me. My mom, dad, family and the people that support me are what drives me to be great."
Carter is a consensus 4-star prospect on recruiting websites and is trending toward coveted 5-star status. He was one of the standouts at a Tennessee Vols camp a couple of weekends ago, where he showcased his 4.39 40-yard dash time by burning a defensive back for a long touchdown.
As a sophomore with Chattanooga Christian last fall he rushed for 1,197 yards, had over 1,500 all-purpose yards and averaged 10.7 yards per carry while scoring 22 touchdowns in just eight games. He also had 51 total tackles with four interceptions and four pass breakups on his way to earning Division II-AA all-state honors.
Carter looks up to NFL defensive back Jalen Ramsey and also trains with NFL Super Bowl champion and Notre Dame High School product Kareem Orr along with Kaylen Stewart Sr., who runs Beyond the Grind Sports Performance.
Former East Ridge star JoJo Tillery, who broke up two passes to help the Birmingham Stallions win the USFL championship game in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, believes Carter has super star potential.
"Boo is going crazy right now," Tillery said. "I remember when he was going into ninth grade he was keeping up with me on routes. He had that mentality that I had coming up where you feel like you are the best one on the field at all times - even if you are lining up opposite of Tom Brady.
"He definitely has that mindset and has the drive. He has the potential to do outstanding things."
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @PMacCoon.