Carter Meadows is, admittedly, concerned about feeling a void.
He knows his future is in football. The fifth-best defensive end in the 2026 class and the No. 29 player overall according to the 247Sports Composite, Meadows is a rising senior at Gonzaga College High School in Washington D.C., who entertained offers to play at football powerhouses like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Auburn, among others. On June 29, he committed to Michigan, bolstering UM’s class as the Wolverines’ top recruit.
ut basketball was Meadows’ first love, a sport he says is “in my blood,” which is why 16 days after picking football, he started his first game at Peach Jam.
The premier Nike EYBL showcase event of the grassroots circuit, Peach Jam, is where college recruiters and NBA royalty pack the sidelines each summer to watch the next generation of basketball stars. It’s the event, Meadows said, that kids dream about, the highlight of many players’ club experience. If you can play well at Peach Jam, you can play anywhere. Meadows couldn’t imagine skipping it.
He was also curious who might be there watching him.