CLEMSON, S.C.- During their careers at Clemson, Barrett Carter and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. have grown to be very close friends. Possibly even the best of friends.
The two rising junior linebackers are expected to be the Tigers' dynamic duo inside that anchor the Clemson defense. They are also roommates, and it only takes a few minutes around them to see how unique that relationship between the two actually is.
"It's definitely evolved a long way, gotten a lot closer over the years," Trotter said about their friendship. "Us being in the same class, came in together, play the same position, I feel like we've definitely grown as brothers. One of my best friends. I can say that about him. And definitely just happy to be able to play play alongside him. He's a baller too."
Part of what makes that bond so unique is just how competitive the two are with one another. They compete at everything, driving each other to be the best. From seeing who can finish drills the fastest on the practice field, and who gets the most tackles in a game, to who is the best Madden player.
While Carter readily admits that Trotter is better at Madden, as well as the strongest of the two, there is some disagreement over which one runs the fastest.
"I'm faster than him if you guys didn't know that," Trotter jokingly said. "He doesn't want to admit it, but I am faster than him. I gotta run the 40 to see if I'm faster than Trenton Simpson yet, but right now Barrett knows I'm faster than him."
However, Carter was having none of that, insisting that he is the fastest player on the team.
"No, not at all," Carter said with a chuckle when asked if Trotter was faster. "I like to say I'm the fastest on the team. A lot of people don't believe it. But that's just the confidence that I have."
When the two linebackers hit the field, though, the fun and games stop. It's all business.
Pro Football Focus recently named Trotter as the top returning linebacker in the nation, with Carter being listed as fifth best. While both maintain they don't pay much attention to those kinds of things, they are determined to actually be the best duo, and their competitive spirit can only help them accomplish that goal.
"I think that's our mindset every day," Carter said. "We don't really pay attention to what everyone wants to say, we'll leave that to the people to say whatever they want about us. But that's just the confidence that we step onto the field with. Like we're the best duo to play in college football. So I guess we'll leave that to the people to decide. But as far as like our confidence, our mindset, that's just how we step out on the field every day."
And being so close off the field has only made it easier for the two to find success on the field.
"Like this is my roommate, right," Carter said. "Regardless, if we walk off the field mad at each other, whatever, we're going to the same place. We're gonna have to make up eventually. So just having that bond off the field, it really just allows us to communicate better on the field, and lead better. It just helps us perform better."
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