Auburn Loses 4-Star WR to Former Head Coach

Devin Carter has flipped from the Auburn Tigers to Florida State, where his offensive coordinator is a former Auburn head coach.

Former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn was instrumental in flipping Devin Carter from the Tigers to Florida State. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

For the second time in two days, a member of the Auburn Tigers' 2026 recruiting class has flipped to another program.

Douglasville (Ga.) Dougals County four-star receiver Devin Carter on Monday flipped from the Tigers to Florida State, On3's Hayes Fawcett reported. Carter joins four-star linebacker Shadarius Toodle, who flipped to Georgia, as the two flips in the last two days.

Carter is also the third Tiger commit to depart from the class this summer after Toodle's flip to Georgia and four-star linebacker JaMichael Garrett decommitted earlier in July.

BREAKING: Four-Star WR Devin Carter has Flipped from Auburn to Florida State, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’1 175 WR had been Committed to the Tigers since January

His dad, Dexter, played RB for FSU & was drafted in the 1st Round of the NFL Drafthttps://t.co/urGVFaKOOu pic.twitter.com/ya961Urz0f

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 23, 2025

Carter's flip does not come as a surprise after On3's Steve Wiltfong on Sunday predicted he would do so. Carter, the No. 19 receiver in the class of 2026, is an FSU legacy with his dad, Dexter, being a former running back for the Seminoles.

He had first committed to the Tigers in January. While the family ties were strong, the main reason for the flip came down to a former Auburn head coach now on staff at FSU.

“The main reason is new offensive staff. Coach (Tim) Harris and coach (Gus) Malzahn are great coaches and very detailed," Carter said, according to On3's Chad Simmons. "They are changing the offense and they have a plan to make me a productive receiver and put in a position to be a guy very early for them. My goal is to be a freshman All-American and I believe they can get me there.”

Auburn has had a tough summer with now three losses and only one addition to its 2026 recruiting class. The Tigers added three-star running back Eric Perry to the class earlier in the summer before losing its three commits.

Auburn's five-commit 2026 class now ranks 62nd in the country, according to 247 Sports, dropping two spots after Carter's flip. The Tigers are also left with only one receiver committed in three-star Denarius Gray.