#26

Michael Carter II

Former safety at Duke. 2020: 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 41 tackles.

S · Duke · Sr. · #26

5′11″ · 190 lb · Douglasville, GA

All-ConferenceNew York — drafted 2021, Rd 5, Pick 10, #154 overall

Recruiting

3★

S recruit

No. 730 nationally · Signed with Duke

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

Former safety at Duke. 2020: 2 interceptions, 8 pass breakups, 41 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Duke in 2017.
Drafted round 5 by the New York in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Four seasons at Duke, 135 tackles — drafted at #154 overall by New York.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20179 games

Signed with Duke3-star out of South Paulding

202011 games

All-ACCthird

2021

Drafted by New Yorkround 5, pick 154

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#730 national

CFB

College

Duke

2017–2020

NFL

NFL Draft

R5 · #154

New York · 2021

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

1 honor

🎖

ALL-ACC

All-ACC mention (2020)

Coaching lineage · 2017–2020

1 coach

2017–2020

David Cutcliffe

Duke

Played his entire career under David Cutcliffe.

Where He Ended Up · NFL

New YorkEntering 6th NFL season

#154Rd 5 · Pick 10

New YorkEntering 6th NFL season

View college career stats ↓

2020 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

4 seasons under David Cutcliffe — 22-27 over that span.

2017Duke7-6HC: David Cutcliffe · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2018Duke8-5HC: David Cutcliffe · Balanced

2019Duke5-7HC: David Cutcliffe · Run-leaning

2020Duke2-9HC: David Cutcliffe · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: passes defended (99th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (84th percentile). Concern: sacks (27th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Passes defended#28 / 2211 · 99th pct

Solo tackles#329 / 2211 · 84th pct

Tackles#446 / 2211 · 79th pct

Interceptions#66 / 568 · 79th pct

Tackles for loss#683 / 2211 · 66th pct

3.0

QB hurries#917 / 2211 · 29th pct

Sacks#1032 / 2211 · 27th pct

0.0

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2020 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	4.0	0.4	0.0	1.6
Road6g	3.5	0.2	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	3.5	0.2	0.0	0.5
Weeks 8+5g	4.0	0.4	0.0	1.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Manny Diaz

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2020

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2020	Duke	41	28	3.0	0.0	8	2	--
2019	Duke	53	30	2.0	0.5	7	1	--
2018	Duke	23	18	0.0	0.0	6	1	--
2017	Duke	18	12	2.5	1.0	2	--	--
Career		135	88	7.5	1.5	23	4	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 9 · 2020

W 53–19

vs Charlotte

8 TOT · 6 SOLO · 2 PD

Dominant 34-point win at home against Charlotte.

With D. Jackson — 101 rush yds (10 car) · 2 TD · M. Durant — 104 rush yds (12 car) · 2 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week