November 17, 2024
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DeKalb receiver Ethan McCarter has earned five college offers as fall approaches

By Eddie Carifio
Ethan McCarter breaks from the line of scrimmage during a 7-on-7 with Kaneland Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at Kaneland High School in Maple Park.

DeKalb's Ethan McCarter breaks from the line of scrimmage during a 7-on-7 with Kaneland Tuesday, July 26, 2022, at Kaneland High School in Maple Park. (Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.com/Mark Busch - mbusch@shawmedia.co)

DeKALB – Between recruiting camps, summer practices, 7-on-7s and other team activities, DeKalb wide receiver Ethan McCarter has had a singular focus heading into his senior season.

“I’ve been working hard and [I] am going to have a way better season than I had last year,” McCarter said. “I’m just trying to take my team to the playoffs.”

McCarter had 41 catches for 521 yards and a touchdown last season as the Barbs went 2-7. He was an All-DuPage Valley Conference special mention.

This offseason he’s picked up five college offers, including from Division I St. Thomas, and he just attended his last camp earlier this week in Tennessee.

He said he likes that the showcases are an even playing field.

“My mindset is act like you’re the best out there and just compete,” McCarter said. “They’ll see what you have. No matter how many stars or offers you have, you just compete and the coaches will see you.”

McCarter also has picked up offers from Roosevelt, Trinity International, Sioux Falls and most recently Drake.

With the college camps over for him, he’s wrapping up the final week of high school workouts for the Barbs. Practice for the fall season starts Monday.

“It’s been a journey,” McCarter said. “I just finished up all my summer camps, so ready to focus on senior season now. Definitely looking forward to getting more offers.”

McCarter said the Barbs are healthier than they were last year and are looking to get back to the postseason in coach Derek Schneeman’s second year at the helm.

“Our coach, that was his first year as the head coach,” McCarter said. “This year we’re going to show them our coach is doing great, and this program is going up.”

Schneeman said he’s impressed with how hard McCarter has been working this offseason.

“I think he saw what he could do last year and thought he could up it,” Schneeman said. “He’s a self-motivated kid. He wants to become better, he’s always pushing himself to be better. Those are the type of kids you want.”

McCarter is only one blazing fast weapon for the Barbs this season, surrounded by players like Xavier Dandridge, Cooper Phelps, Jamari Brown, Talon Tate and others who were sprinters for the Barbs.

Schneeman said McCarter will be able to open up some of those guys by pulling extra coverage.

“He’s going to attract a lot of attention on whatever side he’s on, no matter who we’re playing,” Schneeman said. “He has to understand he’s going to see a lot of bracket coverage and double coverage and things of that nature. We’ll have to be creative to get the ball in his hands as often as we can.”

McCarter said he expects a lot from the team this season.

“A lot of our playmakers are coming back,” McCarter said. “We had a lot of injuries last year, but all of our playmakers are back and healthy, so we should have a good year.”