Martels Carter Jr. holds the KR · Backup spot in Kentucky Wildcats’s kick return room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Martels Carter Jr. is a redshirt freshman running back for the Kentucky Wildcats from Chattanooga, Tennessee. A four-star recruit and the top-ranked prospect in Kentucky according to the composite recruiting rankings and Rivals, Carter was rated as the sixth-best safety in the nation by Rivals. At Paducah Tilghman High School, he earned First-Team All-State honors and was named Most Valuable Player of the state tournament after recording nine catches for 169 yards in the Class 4A championship game. During his senior year, he compiled 35 receptions for 490 yards and five touchdowns on offense. In 2025, Carter appeared in four games and recorded four total tackles, including three against Eastern Michigan.

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