Listening to recruiting guru's advice pays off for emerging Federal Way linebacker

Kaicen Carter receives scholarship offers from California, Colorado State, Idaho and Washington after starring at Avery Strong College Showcase

Federal Way linebacker Kaicen Carter picked up four scholarship offers after attending Avery Strong College Showcase on Sunday. / Photo by Todd Milles

TACOMA, Wash. - Brandon Huffman, one of the senior national recruiting editors for 247Sports.com, saw up-and-coming linebacker prospect Kaicen Carter, of Federal Way High School, at last week's "Battle in Seattle" 7-on-7 tournament.

With only days remaining leading up to the third-year Avery Strong College Showcase at the University of Puget Sound - quickly becoming one of the premier combine stops in the Northwest - Huffman noticed Carter wasn't signed up to compete.

Huffman knew the class-of-2028 recruit would be an attractive sight for all the FBS recruiters in attendance. So, he made the teenager a guarantee:

Come and compete, and you will get at least a couple scholarship offers.

"A guy like (Huffman), he is up there in that recruiting status," Carter said. "The fact he could see my talent, and knew I could showcase it and get a couple of offers, I liked that."

Well, Carter not only was part of a large group of linebackers running through live drills, he was ultimaely named an underclassman most valuable performer from the position group.

Afterward, coaches from California, Colorado State, Idaho and Washington offered him, bringing his total to eight heading into his sophomore season in a few months.

Carter is one of those unique physical blends where he is big enough to do damage near the line of scrimmage but is also athletic enough to defender tight ends and running backs out on the perimeter.

"This (performance) felt really good. It makes me keep pushing, keep going, knowing all the work I am putting in is paying off," Carter said.

Asked what he would have normally done on a bright, sunny Sunday, Carter smiled.

"Weight room and hit the field," he said. "Them chill the rest of the day, maybe go to downtown Seattle."

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