Already this offseason, BYU football has added multiple former Utah State Aggies to its roster, namely rising sophomore offensive lineman Weylin Lapuaho and graduate transfer linebacker AJ Vongphachanh.
There is now the possibility that a third former Aggies starter may end up making his way to Provo.
Ajani “AJ” Carter, formerly a starting cornerback at USU, announced on social media Sunday night that he has been offered by the Cougars.
Carter entered the transfer portal on April 18 and has since garnered interest from multiple Power Five programs, including Penn State and Indiana (he visited the Hoosiers last Wednesday).
Carter is slated to graduate from Utah State in June, making him a graduate transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.
A converted wide receiver, Carter was a three-star prospect coming out of North Shore High in Houston, in 2019, per 247 Sports, and attracted interest from mainly Group of Five programs like Southern Miss, Louisiana Monroe and UTEP.
Indiana was involved in his recruitment as well, though Utah State ultimately won out.
Carter started his Aggies career as a wideout, but after making an impact on special teams as a sophomore was moved to the defensive side of the ball ahead of his junior season.
Listed at 6-feet, 195 pounds, Carter took to his new position quickly, playing in 13 games in 2021 — recording 45 tackles, three interceptions, a pass breakup and a forced fumble and fumble recovery.
He started nine of the 10 games he played in last season, and was limited only by a late-season injury. As senior, Carter racked up 45 tackles, five pass breakups, an interception and forced two fumbles.
Carter will finish his four-year Utah State career — barring an unexpected return to Logan —with 109 tackles, six pass breakups, four interceptions, three forced fumbles and two sacks.
If Carter lands at a Power Five program, he would be just the latest Aggie to do so.
Including Lapuaho and Vongphachanh, former USU defensive ends Daniel Grzesiak and Byron Vaughns both landed at P5 programs, Grzesiak at Cincinnati, Vaughns at Baylor.
Additionally, former USU defensive tackle Patrick Joyner is now at Kansas, while defensive back Dominic “Dom” Tatum is at Washington State.