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Kentucky wins out to keep 4-star in-state defensive back out of the 2025 class home
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Kentucky has landed a commitment from 2025 Paducah (Ky.) Tilghman safety Martels Carter Jr.
The 6-foot-1 defensive back revealed his pledge on Saturday, selecting Big Blue over Auburn, Colorado, and Louisville. He also had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Michigan, and Oregon, among others.
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Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Carter moved to Paducah last year and stood out in the secondary for a Paducah Tilghman team that went unbeaten in the regular season and made it to the semifinals of the 4A state playoffs.
Carter is a 4-star prospect in the industry-generated 247 Composite. He’s the No. 2 recruit from the Commonwealth and the No. 16 safety in the Class of 2025. Overall, he sits at No. 196 in the national player rankings.
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Last fall, Carter played all 3 phases of the game for Paducah Tilghman. He caught 43 passes for 1,066 yards and 10 touchdowns while also rushing for 214 yards and 3 more scores on offense. On the defensive side of the ball, he collected 44 tackles and 3 interceptions. He also scored 5 punt return touchdowns and 1 kickoff return touchdown.
As a sophomore for Chattanooga (Tenn.) Brainerd, he scored 21 touchdowns as a quarterback on offense while totaling 47 tackles, 7 pass breakups, 3 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles on defense.
Carter becomes the sixth player to publicly pledge to Kentucky for the 2025 cycle. He’s also the first defender to join the class.
You can see his highlight tape below, via Hudl:
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
