BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado's roster currently lists Boo Carter solely as a defensive back. Don't be surprised, though, if he plays some wide receiver or maybe even lines up in the backfield.
Sound a little familiar?
The transfer from Tennessee may very well follow in the two-way footsteps of Travis Hunter, the 2024 Heisman Trophy winner for the Buffaloes who's now with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. Carter has the skills to play on both sides of the ball
— and a coach who may just let him.
“If I wanted to put him on offense, I think he could shine there,” said Deion Sanders, whose team opens the season Sept. 3 at Georgia Tech. “He has to focus on dominating the defensive game and then we’ll see about that.”
Carter arrived in Boulder after a two-year stint at Tennessee, where he played in 21 games and made the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman team as a return specialist. But he opted to leave the state where he starred in high school for a fresh start out West.
And a chance to learn from a Hall of Fame defensive back in Sanders.
“When scouts come out, he’s the one of the first young men they ask about,” Sanders said. “Boo could be a pro this year for certain. But he’s a bona fide top-five pick if it’s another year. ... He’s the best athlete on the team.”
Carter's talent is not a revelation to Damon Floyd, who's kicking off his 21st season as the head coach at Bradley Central High School in Cleveland, Tennessee. He only had Carter for one year, but it was a memorable season as the team advanced to the 2023 Class 6A state semifinals. Floyd recalled the first time he saw Carter on the field. He was hauling in passes one-handed with ease.
“We kind of looked at each other and it was like, ‘Oh, this guy’s different. This guy's unbelievable,'” Floyd said in a phone interview. “He's the most explosive player I've ever coached."
Carter's impact was all over the field. He finished with 1,795 all-purpose yards and 27 TDs. He also had 102 tackles and two interceptions as a defensive back, along with several electric plays on returns.
“He’s blessed with a lot of ability,” Floyd said. "His mindset and his work ethic match it.”
Carter played in all 13 games as a true freshman for the Volunteers and led the SEC with a 16.5-yard average on punt returns.
An expanded role appeared imminent last season as the team worked him into the slot at wide receiver during spring practice. He reportedly missed workouts that summer and had to work his way back onto the field to start preseason practice.
Last November, he wasn't on the sideline for a win over New Mexico State. The team later confirmed Carter was no longer on the roster. Around the same time on social media, Carter thanked Tennessee and wrote: “Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal."
He landed in Boulder.
“The kid, attitude-wide, mentality, A-plus," said Sanders, whose team went 3-9 last season. "He’s not problematic. He just wants to know you and wants a relationship to understand that you’ve got his back. He knows that from me.”
Hunter posted quite the season in winning the Heisman in 2024, catching 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 TDs, along with four interceptions on defense.
Carter believes, if he's needed, he could fit into new offensive coordinator Brennan Marion’s innovative “Go-Go” system that features unbalanced formations and a fast tempo.
“I've played both ways my whole life. That’s a goal that I want to reach," said Carter, whose real name is Orlando, with the nickname “Boo” bestowed on him from mom. "But if I don’t ... I just have to stay on my side.”
He's formed a bond with fellow defensive back Cree Thomas, a transfer from Notre Dame. The tandem will be counted on to help shore up a defense that allowed 30.5 points a game last season.
“We push each other so much,” Thomas said of Carter. “He's a playmaker. He's a ball hawk.”
Could he play wideout?
“He's an explosive guy,” Thomas said. “I think he could play receiver if they let him.”
___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.
