Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter announced his intention to enter the 2023 NFL Draft hours after the Bulldogs overwhelmed TCU to win their second straight College Football National Championship.
Although Carter is coming off an injury-plagued season, he's still widely considered one of the top prospects in the country. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound (school measurements) enforcer is extremely explosive and powerful.
Carter has an injury history that must be vetted, including an ankle injury that he suffered early in the season and a knee injury he sustained against Missouri that sidelined him for nearly a month. In 13 games this season, Carter had 32 tackles (seven for losses), three sacks, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups.
Carter started slowly in the Peach Bowl against Ohio State on Dec. 31 but did bat down a fourth-quarter pass that prevented a pass-interference call against the Bulldogs. He also flashed his rare athleticism in Georgia's national-championship victory Monday night by racing to the sideline to get in on a tackle on TCU's Quentin Johnston on a screen pass.
A top-50 national recruit, Carter joined one of the deepest defensive lines in the nation in Athens. And though he only started about one season's worth of games over his career because of injuries and the Bulldogs' unusual depth, he could emerge as one of UGA's best recent NFL prospects.
As an underclassman -- Carter is a third-year junior -- he has until Jan. 16 to renounce his remaining college football eligibility by submitting written notification to the league.
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