Illinois Football: Illini lose wide receiver Edwin Carter to transfer portal
By Collin Allen
The Illinois football team will lose a member of its team to the NCAA transfer portal.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Edwin Carter announced he will be transferring from Illinois via Twitter on Tuesday. The receiver had been rehabbing from a 2018 injury.
Carter was a three-star recruit from Sandalwood, FL coming out of high school. The former three-star recruit had also received offers from Mercer, Middle Tennessee State, and Western Illinois. He was ranked the No. 198 wide receiver in the nation and the No. 222 recruit from Florida, according to the team’s site.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound pass-catcher had missed all of last season and most of the 2018 campaign after suffering a severe knee injury while catching a touchdown vs. Western Illinois as a freshman. This would be the only game Carter would play for the Fighting Illini.
Unbelievable job of hanging onto this @IlliniFootball TD by freshman Edwin Carter.
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) September 9, 2018
Carter was helped off the field with an injury, and we wish him a speedy recovery! pic.twitter.com/qvC1Z086DM
Carter will finish his Illini career with 2 receptions, 2 touchdowns, and 34 yards in just 11 snaps played for the program. In those eleven snaps, Carter accomplished the feat of being one of seven true freshmen in the nation with two touchdowns in the first two weeks of the season, according to FightingIllini.com. Carter was able to do this in less than one half.
What does the receiver room look like after Carter’s departure?
My colleague, Rees, recently released a projected depth chart for the Illinois Fighting Illini offense.
Senior Josh Imatorbhebhe, senior Trevon Sidney, and junior Miami (FL) transfer Brian Hightower will likely be the three starting wide receivers for the Illini when they visit Wisconsin to open the season.
Head coach Lovie Smith will additionally have many more weapons for the receiver rotation. Sophomore Casey Washington, Junior Donny Navarro, New Mexico State transfer Desmond Dan, and freshman James Frenchie will all be talented depth pieces who will most likely see the field plenty this season.
Next. Projected Illini depth chart on offense for 2020. dark
Despite the departure of Carter, the Illini will still have plenty of skilled options at wide receiver who quarterback Brandon Peters can sling the ball to in 2020.