Running back, North Carolina, 2017–⁠20

Michael Carter

Number
No. 8
Height
5′8″
Weight
199 lb
Class (2020)
Senior
Hometown
Navarre, FL
Born
May 7, 1999, in Navarre, Florida

Wikipedia readers: about 3,009 a month over the past year

Michael Carter played running back at North Carolina (2017–⁠20). The New York Jets took Carter in round 4, No. 107 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,245
Rushing yards, 2020 (North Carolina, 8–⁠4)
Best game
308 yards
At Miami, week 15, 2020: No. 1 rushing game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 4
In FBS in rushing yards, 2020
Drafted
No. 107
Round 4, 2021 NFL Draft (New York Jets)

Career highs

308rushing yards, career highat Miami, 20203rushing touchdowns, career hightwice; last vs. Western Carolina, 20208catches, career highat Duke, 2018

Honors

Rushing

Rushing yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamCarYdsAvgTDLong
2017North Carolina975585.8856
2018North Carolina845977.1249
2019North Carolina1771,0035.7360
2020North Carolina1561,2458.0965
Career5143,4036.62265

Receiving

SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2017North Carolina111009.1124
2018North Carolina251355.4131
2019North Carolina211547.3241
2020North Carolina2526710.7246
Career826568.0646

Returns

SeasonTeamKRYdsTD
2017North Carolina2280
2019North Carolina194660
2020North Carolina81560
Career296500

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2017North Carolina8RBFr.
2018North Carolina8RBSo.
2019North Carolina8RBJr.
2020North Carolina8RBSr.5′8″199

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsageAdj. rush
2017North Carolina1130.1970th (n=287)0.1221.215%0.13
2018North Carolina1120.0831st (n=300)0.159.116%0.00
2019North Carolina2020.1040th (n=287)0.1319.821%0.05
2020North Carolina1860.4097th (n=212)0.1474.924%0.32

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). Adjusted pass and rush: EPA per play adjusted for the defenses faced (CollegeFootballData’s WEPA). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2020 North Carolina 11 games, 1,245 rushing yards, 9 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 12vs.SyracuseW 31–⁠677806600
Oct 3atBoston CollegeW 26–⁠22161210160
Oct 10vs.Virginia TechW 56–⁠451721421150
Oct 17atFlorida StateL 28–⁠3117650250
Oct 24vs.NC StateW 48–⁠211710612460
Oct 31atVirginiaL 41–⁠4496402−40
Nov 7atDukeW 56–⁠24178513461
Nov 14vs.Wake ForestW 59–⁠53167404551
Nov 27vs.Notre DameL 17–⁠3185701230
Dec 5vs.Western CarolinaW 49–⁠98733160
Dec 12atMiamiW 62–⁠26243082290
2019 North Carolina 13 games, 1,003 rushing yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Aug 31vs.South CarolinaW 24–⁠20167701100
Sep 7vs.MiamiW 28–⁠25113002190
Sep 13atWake ForestL 18–⁠24139602221
Sep 21vs.App StateL 31–⁠3481701111
Sep 28vs.ClemsonL 20–⁠21169902−70
Oct 5atGeorgia TechW 38–⁠22206805520
Oct 19atVirginia TechL 41–⁠43139101−30
Oct 26vs.DukeW 20–⁠17126401190
Nov 2vs.VirginiaL 31–⁠3814870–––
Nov 14atPittsburghL 27–⁠3411340270
Nov 23vs.MercerW 56–⁠7915931110
Nov 30atNC StateW 41–⁠10169702150
Dec 27 ✦vs.TempleW 55–⁠13188401−20
2018 North Carolina 9 games, 597 rushing yards, 2 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 22vs.PittsburghW 38–⁠3562804361
Sep 27atMiamiL 10–⁠477750350
Oct 13vs.Virginia TechL 19–⁠221816502190
Oct 20atSyracuseL 37–⁠40102403110
Oct 27atVirginiaL 21–⁠3184212180
Nov 3vs.Georgia TechL 28–⁠3810680290
Nov 10atDukeL 35–⁠421814818320
Nov 17vs.Western CarolinaW 49–⁠266450–––
Nov 24vs.NC StateL 28–⁠34120150
2017 North Carolina 11 games, 558 rushing yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultCarRush ydsRush TDRecRec ydsRec TD
Sep 2vs.CaliforniaL 30–⁠3511942–––
Sep 9vs.LouisvilleL 35–⁠478151–––
Sep 16atOld DominionW 53–⁠2314682–––
Sep 23vs.DukeL 17–⁠277130240
Sep 30atGeorgia TechL 7–⁠334160–––
Oct 7vs.Notre DameL 10–⁠334250150
Oct 14vs.VirginiaL 14–⁠20131572140
Oct 21atVirginia TechL 7–⁠5961502230
Nov 9atPittsburghW 34–⁠316240–––
Nov 18vs.Western CarolinaW 65–⁠101610311130
Nov 25atNC StateL 21–⁠3382804511

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

Played in the 2021 Senior Bowl (National team, won 27–⁠24).

DrillPro day 2021
Height5′7⅞″
Weight201 lb
Arm length29⅛″
Hand size8¾″
Wingspan73⅜″
40-yard dash4.50 s
10-yard split1.63 s
Vertical jump34″
Broad jump9′11″
Bench press16 reps
3-cone drill6.87 s
20-yard shuttle3.98 s

Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Rosters and honors: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

5 seasons, 61 games with a stat; latest team: Tennessee Titans.

SeasonTeamGCarYdsTDRecRec yds
2021New York Jets14147639436325
2022New York Jets16114402341288
2023Arizona Cardinals1530187024101
2024Arizona Cardinals33513111157
2025Arizona Cardinals1392333133267
NFL career614181,69291451,038

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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