Darrell Luter Jr.
| No. 28 – San Francisco 49ers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Cornerback | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Born: | April 24, 2000 Hattiesburg, Mississippi, U.S. | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Oak Grove (Hattiesburg, Mississippi) | ||
| College: | Pearl River CC (2018–2019) South Alabama (2020–2022) | ||
| NFL draft: | 2023 / Round: 5 / Pick: 155 | ||
| Career history | |||
| |||
| Roster status: | Active | ||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||
| |||
| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||
Darrell Akeem Luter Jr. (born April 24, 2000)[1] is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Alabama.
Early years[edit]
Luter was born on April 24, 2000, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.[1] He attended Oak Grove High School and played football for three years, basketball for two years and track for one year.[2] Despite many of his teammates being highly recruited (including six who signed with Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams), Luter was not, and eventually committed to Pearl River Community College.[3]
College career[edit]
Luter played at Pearl River from 2018 to 2019, being named second-team all-conference as a sophomore.[3] 247Sports ranked him a three-star junior college recruit and among the top 40 cornerbacks nationally, and after graduating from the school he signed with South Alabama.[4][5] He appeared in all 11 games in his first year with the team, and although he was for most of the season third-string on the depth chart, Luter was able to tie for the team lead in tackles among players at cornerback.[3][6]
Luter had a breakout year in 2021, placing third in the FBS in pass breakups while posting four interceptions and only allowing receptions on 26.7% of the passes thrown at him.[2][7] Pro Football Focus (PFF) named him a second-team All-America selection after the season.[8] As a senior in 2022, he recorded seven pass breakups and only one interception, partly attributed to being targeted less by quarterbacks.[7] Luter was invited to the 2023 Senior Bowl and finished his stint at South Alabama having only allowed catches on 45.3% of passes thrown at him, while recording 17 pass breakups and drawing only six penalties.[2][7]
Professional career[edit]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+3⁄4 in (1.82 m) |
189 lb (86 kg) |
32+3⁄8 in (0.82 m) |
10+3⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
4.46 s | 1.57 s | 2.58 s | 4.38 s | 6.90 s | 40.5 in (1.03 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | ||
| Sources:[9][10] | ||||||||||||
Luter was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the fifth round (155th overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.[11] He was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the 2023 season.[12] On November 18, he was activated from the reserve/PUP.[13]
During the third quarter of Super Bowl LVIII against the Kansas City Chiefs, Luter was charged with a fumble after he failed to get out of the way of a Tommy Townsend punt that struck his foot. On the very next play the Chiefs scored and took the lead.[14][15]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Darrell Luter Jr". South Alabama Jaguars.
- ^ a b c Garrett, Tommy (April 9, 2023). "Darrell Luter Jr., CB, South Alabama | NFL Draft Scouting Report". Pro Football Network.
- ^ a b c Stephenson, Craig (March 23, 2022). "Late-blooming Darrell Luter could be South Alabama's next NFL prospect". AL.com.
- ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Darrell Luter Jr., Cornerback, South Alabama Jaguars". Sports Illustrated. November 26, 2022.
- ^ Crawford, Gary (December 18, 2019). "USA Jags sign 19 football players during early period". MyNBC.com. WPMI-TV.
- ^ "Darrell Luter". On3.com.
- ^ a b c Munoz, Robert (March 1, 2023). "NFL Draft: Darrell Luter Jr. Has Potential To Be NFL Starter". HERO Sports.
- ^ Madson, Kyle (March 27, 2023). "NFL draft: 49ers hold 2nd meeting with CB Darrell Luter Jr". USA Today.
- ^ "Darrell Luter Jr. Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL Draft Scout Darrell Luter Jr. College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
- ^ McDonald, Briana (April 29, 2023). "49ers Select CB Darrell Luter Jr. with the No. 155 Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft". 49ers.com. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ^ "49ers Announce Moves for Initial 53-Man Roster". 49ers.com. August 29, 2023.
- ^ "49ers Activate Cornerback and Offensive Lineman". 49ers.com. November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ Jordan, Terrence (February 12, 2024). "3 San Francisco 49ers to blame for the team's crushing Super Bowl loss". FanSided.com. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ Inabinett, Mark (February 12, 2024). "49ers' Darrell Luter Jr.: 'It makes you feel like it was all on you'". AL.com. Retrieved February 18, 2024.