Toneil Carter to Georgia: Bulldogs Land 4-Star RB Prospect

Georgia added a big piece to its backfield ahead of the 2017 season, securing the commitment of Toneil Carter on Sunday.

The talented ball-carrier revealed his college decision in an announcement at The Opening:  

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4-star RB Toneil Carter just committed to Georgia on FB LIVE: https://t.co/1Oe3yUNf9Z #TheOpening pic.twitter.com/dWW79e39VV

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 10, 2016"

Carter is the fifth-ranked running back in the 2017 recruiting class, per 247Sports' composite rankings. The 4-star recruit also sits No. 107 overall and No. 16 in the state of Texas.

The Langham Creek High School standout grabbed the attention of head coaches across the country after running for 1,382 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2014 and following up with 1,206 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2015, per 247Sports.

It's no surprise Carter had scholarship offers from a number of top schools, including Alabama, LSU, Georgia, TCU, Baylor, Michigan, Michigan State and Texas A&M. Last August, he discussed how he was happy to take his time before making a final decision.

"I get asked all the time if I'm committing early, and I'm not," Carter said, per ESPN Recruiting Nation's Jeremy Crabtree. "There aren't too many guys in my situation, and I want to enjoy the process some before I make a decision. I owe it to myself to not be in a big rush."

Carter's vision and ability in the open field stand out when watching his highlights from his sophomore year. He's patient enough to let the play develop before he accelerates into the second level:

247Sports' Colt Barber also shared a short clip of Carter running drills to lower his center of gravity when he carries the ball:

Learning to run with his shoulders lower will only help Carter at the next level. An upright running style doesn't necessarily make a running back any more or less effective, but it could leave Carter more susceptible to injury.

That critique aside, Carter is an otherwise well-rounded back. Despite his 5'10 ½", 197-pound frame, he isn't afraid to welcome contact and attack the defender. He also possesses a nice blend of strength and agility, which allows him to use a more finesse-based approach in the open field in order to elude a tackler.

Carter isn't the kind of running back who needs to take a seat on passing downs either. He can be a target out of the backfield or stay back and help ward off would-be rushers in pass protection.

It would be unfair to expect Carter to deliver immediate results in the way Leonard Fournette and Todd Gurley—two of the better true freshman running backs in recent years—did upon heading to college. However, Carter could unquestionably help Georgia's offense in 2017 given his versatility.

And in another year or two, he could potentially be one of the best in the country at his position.

Georgia has boasted the likes of Gurley and Nick Chubb in recent years, though, so Carter has big shoes to fill as he prepares to join the mix in the Bulldogs' backfield.