WVU Football
Derek Carter Jr. Switching to Safety | WVU Football All 105
All 105 is a West Virginia Sports Now series profiling each member of the 2025 WVU Football Roster.
Derek Carter Jr. spent the first four years of his college career at Jacksonville State, suiting up at cornerback for head coach Rich Rodriguez the last three years. Carter followed Rodriguez from the Gamecocks to West Virginia this offseason, and now the Mountaineers list the 5-foot-10, 181 pound defensive back as a safety.
That could indicate an adjustment to the speed of the Power Four game — the cornerback position typically needs more raw athleticism than safety does — or it could cater to the demands of the Mountaineers’ roster. After coaching him for the past three seasons, Rodriguez should have a pretty good idea of how to best deploy Carter’s talents.
WVU Football finished near the bottom of Division I in passing yards allowed last season, so Carter could provide valuable stability and leadership as they look to overhaul their secondary.
13 • Derek Carter Jr., redshirt senior safety
Last year: Carter’s numbers took a dip after he earned Second Team All-CUSA honors in 2023, but he still managed to break up one pass, intercept another and make 21 solo tackles.
Stats: Carter has 55 solo tackles, nine passes defensed and one interception across three years in the Gamecocks’ lineup, spending much of that time as a reserve.
Camp outlook: Switching to safety casts some uncertainty on Carter’s usage in 2025. A smooth transition to the last line of defense could help him maintain a level of playing time similar to what he had at Jacksonville State.
Projected role: Even if he doesn’t lock down a starting job, expect frequent snaps for Carter in subpackages or as a rotational player.
Accolades, highlights: A two-way player at cornerback and receiver in high school, Derek Carter earned Second-Team All-Conference USA honors as a redshirt sophomore after breaking up eight passes.
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