Bill might nix NFL draft for Army star LB Carter
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Pete ThamelESPN
A sudden potential roadblock has emerged that could prevent Army star linebacker Andre Carter II and other talented athletes at service academies from playing professional sports directly out of school.
The Military Times has reported that a potential change in the policy for athletes at the academies emerged as part of a bill being passed through Congress. Since 2019, athletes at military academies have had the ability to apply for a waiver to delay their active service requirement and immediately pursue professional sports opportunities.
That rule, pushed through by former President Donald Trump in 2019, appears on the cusp of being revoked. Tucked in Section 553 of the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the Senate on Thursday and is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk, is language that states an “agreement by a cadet or midshipman to play professional sport constitutes a breach of service obligation.” The bill covers the Army, Navy and Air Force and states: “The cadet may not obtain employment, including as a professional athlete, until after completing the cadet’s commissioned service obligation.” That obligation is, according to Army, five years of active duty and three years in the individual ready reserve.
The change is expected to take place when the bill is signed, which could be as early as next week. Carter and other current athletes at service academies would not get a legacy exception, meaning they would lose the ability to immediately pursue professional sports opportunities.
Heading into this season, Carter’s NFL draft potential was one of the feel-good stories in college football. The Black Knights star is Mel Kiper’s No. 22-ranked player for the upcoming draft, a stunning development for a school that hasn’t had a first-round pick since 1947 and has had only two players drafted since 1969.
Carter chose to stay at Army his final two seasons out of loyalty, despite being a player whose talent could command a large sum of money on the name, image and likeness market. He’s 6-foot-7, 260 pounds and talented enough to play at any blue-blood school. His family says transferring was never a serious consideration, not even after Carter led the country in sacks in 2021 with 1.19 per game. (He finished ahead of Will Anderson Jr., the Alabama outside linebacker who is the only OLB ranked ahead of him in Kiper’s draft rankings.)
After two years at the academy, all cadets going into their junior year “affirm” with the school, an agreement to both serve after graduation and pay back any tuition costs if they don’t graduate. If Carter went back on his affirmation, that would mean both not graduating after such rigorous work for nearly four years and an expensive bill to pay back.
Last Thursday, as Carter’s parents were traveling from their Houston-area home to the Army-Navy game, they learned about this potential change on Twitter. They were blindsided when reading the Military Times report on the contents of the bill. Their son’s plans to enter the draft, play professional football and later serve in the military had potentially been upended.
“Here’s the thing that’s so painful,” Melissa Carter told ESPN. “You guide your son to do the right things because it’s right. And it’s really disappointing that it’s not reciprocated. This has been his goal since childhood, to go into the NFL. Every step of the way, that was on track, until we saw this article. That’s the part that’s disappointing. It’s not surprising to see so many people transfer, opt out or switch teams. When loyalty is not reciprocated, that stings.”
Army coach Jeff Monken didn’t find out about the potential rule change until after the Army-Navy game Saturday.
“It’s just kind of pulling the rug out from under him,” Monken told ESPN. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair to him. He was loyal to this team and institution. He could have left and he didn’t. He still wants to serve. It’s not that he doesn’t want to serve. He wants to pursue the NFL and play, and then serve.
“I’m 100 percent against it.”
Melissa Carter said it’s her “understanding” that her son will have to do two years of military service if the bill gets passed as written. (Army officials explained that after two years of active service, a graduate can apply for an alternative service option.) Melissa Carter said the bill’s passage is likely going to force her son to choose between two goals: graduating from the United States Military Academy or playing professional football. The family doesn’t have animosity toward Army or the coaches but more against the apparent political whims that have left their son at a crossroads.
The family is scrambling to see what can be done. If Carter does go No. 22, he’d get a contract for roughly $15 million. Although he’s projected in the first round in some mock drafts, some scouts believe he’s more of a second-round pick. Regardless of the potential payout, the family says there’s a lack of fairness that the rules would suddenly change days before their son played his final regular-season game. If the rules had been different, his path likely would have been different. The Carters asked about the rules frequently during their son’s final two years.
Monken wonders whether, at a minimum, the policy can be altered to allow those who entered the academy after the bill was passed in 2019 to get legacy exceptions under the rules that were in place when they decided to go to the Academy. Although he’s strongly in favor of keeping the rules that allow deferring military duty, he’s hopeful something can be done in the short term for Carter and others who entered an academy thinking they could pursue professional sports and defer their military duty.
“It doesn’t matter who set the policy in place,” Monken said. “We should do what’s right.”
The former secretary of the Army, Ryan McCarthy, who was part of initiating the policy that allowed deferment back in 2019, said he’s unsure of the mechanics of how this section got into the current bill that’s been passed.
McCarthy didn’t find out about the potential change until he attended the Army-Navy game Saturday.
McCarthy said he’s disappointed because there’s proof that the deferments work and because NFL executives had finally became comfortable drafting players from the academies. McCarthy highlighted the decades-long philosophical debate in the military on whether to let athletes defer service to play. He said it winds through famous Navy graduates such as David Robinson in the NBA and Napoleon McCallum in the NFL.
“You can argue on the merits of philosophy,” McCarthy told ESPN. “It’s the sort of thing where we have three-plus years of precedent. There’s five former Army players who have had service deferred. Four made it in the NFL and one, who was cut (First Lt. Connor Slomka), who is today in the 75th Ranger regiment. At present, the policy is working.
“Clearly these young men entered this season with the presumption they’d be afforded the opportunity, if able, to vie for the NFL. Because of this change, I think it’s only appropriate that the men who came to Army since the policy was initiated in 2019 should be grandfathered into the existing policy.”
There are four Army graduates in the NFL right now — Cole Christiansen (Chiefs), Brett Toth (Eagles), Elijah Riley (Steelers) and Jon Rhattigan (Seahawks). West Point is a crucial part of the story they tell. Monken doesn’t understand why Army graduates who train for the Olympics through the World Class Athlete program are celebrated and those who choose to delay service for professional football are blocked.
“We’re so proud of these guys and how they represent West Point,” Monken said.
Andre Carter II declined to speak to ESPN for this story. But his family made his emotions clear.
“He’s so upset,” his father, Andre, said. “He was literally, visually upset because of the uncertainty. He was not happy. When you’re in the military, everything is precise. To have something at the eleventh hour kind of thrown out there when you are so used to having a regiment; he’s in a fog about the whole thing.”
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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