Gophers defensive tackle Trill Carter enters transfer portal

Carter was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection by the coaches last season when he started all 13 games and finished with 19 tackles.

March 24, 2023 at 6:49PM
Trill Carter, left, shown here in 2021, wore No. 99 earlier in his Gophers career and switched to No. 1 last season. Now he is looking to transfer. (Aaron Lavinsky, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Trill Carter, who has started at defensive tackle for the Gophers the past two seasons, has entered his name into the transfer portal, a source with knowledge of the situation told the Star Tribune on Friday.

Carter, 6-1 and 300 pounds, made 19 tackles, two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks for the Gophers in 2022 while earning All-Big Ten honorable mention from the conference's coaches.

The Leesburg, Ga., native finished his Minnesota career with three tackles and a half-sack in the Pinstripe Bowl victory over Syracuse. As a sophomore in 2021, Carter had 21 tackles, five tackles for loss and one sack while starting 11 of 12 games. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.

On Tuesday, Carter posted a video on his Twitter account in support of Dinkytown Athletes, a platform for Gophers athletes to develop name, image and likeness opportunities. "First day of spring football. It felt great to be out there with the guys,'' Carter said in the video.

With Carter no longer with the team, third-year sophomore Deven Eastern and senior Darnell Jefferies, a transfer from Clemson, are in line to see more playing time at defensive tackle.

Carter is the ninth defensive player to enter the portal since the 2022 regular season ended, joining defensive linemen Austin Booker and Gage Keys, linebackers Braelen Oliver and Donald Willis, and defensive backs Beanie Bishop, Jalen Glaze, Michael Dixon and Steven Ortiz.

about the writer

about the writer

Randy Johnson

College football reporter

Randy Johnson covers University of Minnesota football and college football for the Star Tribune, along with Gophers hockey and the Wild.

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