Colorado State Freshman Dante Wright pictured with his family (photo courtesy Stacy Wright)
Navarre has had one of the area’s most successful high school football programs over the last decade, and that Friday-night success has allowed the Raiders to send some important players to the next level.
Players such as Dante Wright, who currently leads all FBS freshmen in all-purpose yards, Michael Carter, who had a key run last week against then No.1 Clemson, and Jordan Jefferson, who is beginning to earn solid playing time at West Virginia, are just some of the former Raiders making names for themselves on the big stage.
Wright, who made countless big plays as a wide receiver and defensive back at Navarre, picked up right where he left off when he got to Colorado State.
Wright had 131 yards and two touchdowns on just four receptions and three rush attempts against Colorado in his first college game.
Wright had similar success against Western Illinois. He had seven receptions for 111 yards and one touchdown and took one handoff for 33 yards and a touchdown in that game.
Wright’s Rams then traveled to SEC-country and played Arkansas the following week. Wright kept producing at a high level, catching four passes for 97 yards and one touchdown. Wright’s efforts helped give Colorado State a shot at winning until a late fourth quarter surge from Arkansas put the game away.
Wright’s touchdown came on an acrobatic 75-yard catch that included a 40-yard run after the catch was made.
Wright also put up 70 yards against Toledo and 79 yards against Utah State in recent weeks.
Wright played against former Gulf Breeze Dolphin Noah Young in his match up against Utah State. Young plays linebacker for the Aggies.
Not only are Wright’s 575 all-purpose yards good for first place among all freshmen, but (according to the Freshman Focus) the do-it-all receiver is the only freshman in the top-25 in total receiving yards and one of two freshmen in the top-50, joined by Arkansas’s Trey Knox.
Another Navarre alum that is continuing to put up impressive numbers at the FBS level is the University of North Carolina’s junior running back Michael Carter.
Carter currently has 319 rushing yards in addition to 55 receiving yards and two touchdowns this season.
Carter had his biggest rushing performance of the season last week when his Tarheels took on then No.1 Clemson.
Carter ran for 99 yards against the Tigers, averaging over six yards per carry.
Carter also had 118 combined rushing and receiving yards against Wake Forest. Carter averaged over seven yards a carry against Wake Forest and also caught a touchdown.
Carter sits at 1475 career rushing yards with a six yards-per-carry average, 10 rushing touchdowns, 290 receiving yards and receiving four touchdowns.
Former Navarre defensive linemen Jordan Jefferson is also starting to make his presence felt as a freshman at West Virginia.
Jefferson is still working his way into the rotation, but he already has recorded two tackles and a pass deflection this season.
Wright’s Rams will play host to San Diego State this Saturday at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
Carter’s Tarheels are scheduled to play Georgia Tech in Atlanta this Saturday at 3 p.m. on the ACC Network.
Jefferson’s Mountaineers are scheduled to host Texas this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.
