BREAKING | Notre Dame Lands Graduate Transfer Antonio Carter II
Notre Dame has added a late piece to the 2023 roster as Rhode Island graduate transfer safety Antonio Carter II has committed to the Fighting Irish.
Carter entered the portal in mid-April and quickly reeled in around 20 offers, but the decision to end his recruitment was an easy one following his official visit to Notre Dame.
How easy?
Carter was set to leave Notre Dame on Friday and head straight to Baton Rouge for his official visit, but that trip never happened despite LSU having a car service waiting outside The Gug.
After seeing Ole Miss, Wisconsin and Notre Dame, the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder informed Marcus Freeman he didn’t need to see more and a Notre Dame staffer called LSU and walked out to inform the car service that services were no longer needed.
“You’re really getting the best of both worlds,” Carter told ISD before his announcement. “You’re able to play for a top 10 program and get a chance to go to the playoffs, but on the flip side, the chance to build relationships you can benefit from for the rest of your life is important. The quality of the school is really what helped me and my parents decide as well.
“There isn’t too much going on. It’s a chill campus and that’s something I was looking for. I can go lock in and not worry about anything else. I’m here to work and play football. Notre Dame is a place I can do that without being distracted.”
When he entered the portal, Carter prioritized relationships as he wanted to find a staff he could trust.
It wasn’t necessarily easy as schools were expediting the recruiting process as Carter had to make a decision within a limited timeline, but Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman, Chris O’Leary, Al Golden and Chad Bowden rose to the top.
“It felt like family,” explained Carter, who also had plans to visit Florida. “I can be myself and having my parents there - that was something I was looking for. If I can get comfortable with you, then that’s something that shows a lot. I know they have good football, but just being able to chill, laugh and not talk about football all the time is something I really enjoyed. They’re all great people at Notre Dame.”
What was the biggest surprise for Carter during his visit? It wasn’t the facilities, landmarks or gold helmets.
“I originally thought the school had way more students,” laughed Carter. “I’m thinking they had a lot of students from watching the football games, but then they told me they only have 8,000 students. That’s smaller than where I’m at right now.”
That’s not to say Carter wasn’t filled with emotions walking down the tunnel of Notre Dame Stadium.
“That was tough,” stated Carter. “You always see it on TV with all the fans and everything, but seeing it in person was lit. It was crazy. I know once game day comes, it will be even better.”
Carter was able to mix it up with a few of Notre Dame players, but it was a little different as most players are off campus or finishing exams. Yet, it wasn’t a huge priority for Carter as he knows there will be like-minded people around him.
“I met with a couple players,” said Carter. “A lot of them had things going on, but the type of school it is, I know I don’t have to worry about that. I know there are multiple players just like me, so it wasn’t a big concern. I know once I’ll get to meet them everything will be good.
“I did get to meet Kyle Hamilton.”
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