Nathan Carter

Former running back at Michigan State. 2024: 499 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD, 18 catches.

RB · Michigan State · Jr. · #5

5′10″ · 202 lb · Irondequoit, NY

CFB Index 48 · #147 of 310 RBsHigh confidenceMichigan State 2024 — college career complete

The story

Former running back at Michigan State. 2024: 499 rushing yards, 5 rushing TD, 18 catches.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to UConn in 2020.
Transferred from UConn to Michigan State in 2023.

His career, year by year

Recruiting

2★

RB recruit

No. 3085 nationally · Signed with UConn

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

How it ended

Four seasons at Michigan State, 2,274 rushing yards — his college career is complete.

His career

He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

The week the volume broke through — put up 108 yds at Iowa.Iowa · L 16-262023

2020

Signed with UConn2-star out of Bishop Kearney

202312 games

Entered the portal

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#3085 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2021–2024

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2021–2024

2 coaches

2021–2023

Mel Tucker

Michigan State

2024

Jonathan Smith

Michigan State

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Mel Tucker → Jonathan Smith. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021UConn1-11HC: Lou Spanos · Balanced

2022UConn6-7HC: Jim Mora · Run-heavy, slow tempo

2023Michigan State4-8HC: Mel Tucker · Balanced

2024Michigan State5-7HC: Jonathan Smith · Balanced, slow tempo

Where this profile ranks vs the RB cohort

Box-score percentiles

48Rotational starter #147 of 310?

High confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: yards / carry (23rd percentile).

Box-score rates (7)

Rec yards#69 / 330 · 79th pct

173

Receptions#90 / 330 · 72nd pct

Long run#101 / 335 · 70th pct

Carries#138 / 335 · 59th pct

116

Rush TDs#128 / 335 · 59th pct

Rush yards#162 / 335 · 52nd pct

499

Yards / carry#254 / 335 · 23rd pct

4.3

Percentiles versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score rates.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2024 season · 12 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Home7g	40.4	4.7	0.6
Road5g	43.2	3.6	0.2

First half vs Second half

	YDS/g	YPC	TD/g
Weeks 1-76g	40.8	4.5	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	42.3	4.0	0.7

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Pat Fitzgerald

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

Awards

Player standing · 2024

Starter

A locked-in starting job.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

48 · #147 of 310 RBs

Two-star recruit. Now #147 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	Michigan State	116	499	4.3	5	--
2023	Michigan State	186	792	4.3	4	--
2022	UConn	65	405	6.2	1	--
2021	UConn	125	578	4.6	2	--
Career		492	2,274	4.6	12	--

Season	Team
2024	Michigan State	18	173	9.6	2	--
2023	Michigan State	22	103	4.7	0	--
2022	UConn	5	39	7.8	0	--
2021	UConn	19	127	6.7	0	--
Career		64	442	6.9	2	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 8 · 2024

W 32–20

vs Iowa

49 rush yds (9 car) · 1 TD

With A. Chiles — 256 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 81.3 · 51 rush yds (11 car) · M. Foster — 5 rec · 100 yds · 1 TD

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 12 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	CAR	YDS	AVG	TD	LONG	Note
Wk 1	W 16-10vs Florida Atlantic	19	48	2.5	0	12
Wk 2	W 27-24@ Maryland	11	59	5.4	0	30
Wk 3	W 40-0vs Prairie View A&M	8	91	11.4	1	60
Wk 4	L 19-23@ Boston College	9	9	1.0	0	12
Wk 5	L 7-38vs Ohio State	6	27	4.5	0	19
Wk 6	L 10-31@ Oregon	5	11	2.2	0	10
Wk 8	W 32-20vs Iowa	9	49	5.4	1	11
Wk 9	L 17-24@ Michigan	19	118	6.2	1	34	Season-high 118 yds
Wk 10	L 10-47vs Indiana	8	6	0.8	0	3
Wk 12	L 16-38@ Illinois	6	19	3.2	0	8
Wk 13	W 24-17vs Purdue	9	15	1.7	1	12
Wk 14	L 14-41vs Rutgers	7	47	6.7	1	26
Total		116	499	4.3	5	60

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology