K.J. Carta-Samuels

Photo by: Tommy Joe Waido

Photo by: Tomas Redondo

Position:
Quarterback
Height:
6-2
Weight:
225
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Saratoga, Calif.
High School:
Bellarmine Prep
Prev School:
Washington

Career Highs:

Passing Yards: 537 (CSU Record) - vs. Hawai'i, 8/25/18
Passing TDs: 5 - vs. Hawai'i, 8/25/18
Longest Pass: 69 - vs. Hawai'i, 8/25/18
Completions: 34 - vs. Hawai'i, 8/25/18
Attempts: 50 - vs. Hawai'i, 8/25/18

2018 (RS-Senior): Graduate transfer from Washington played in 10 games, starting the first 8, in his lone season at CSU ... completed 61.4% of his passes (183-298) for 2,261 yards and 19 touchdowns with 9 interceptions, with a long completion of 69 yards (to Preston Williams, vs. Hawai'i, 8/25) ... topped the 300-yard mark three times, including a school-record 537 yards on 34-50 passing (5 TDs/1 INT) in his the season opener, his first game as a Ram, vs. Hawai'i ... named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watch list in preseason.

Passed for 537 yards and five touchdowns in season opener against Hawai'i (Aug. 25).
- Set the CSU record for most passing yards in a single game, and became the first CSU QB to throw for over 500 yards; 12^th QB in CSU history to throw for at least 400 yards.
Completed 7 of his first 8 pass attempts in game against Colorado (Sept. 1).
Completed 32-of-47 passes for 389 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception, and completed a pass for a 2-point conversion in the win over Arkansas (Sept.8).
- Starting late in the third quarter, completed 14 consecutive passes and finished the game completing 17 of his final 19 attempts.
Tossed a 48-yard TD to freshman tight end Trey McBride on the team’s opening drive of the second half at Florida (Sept. 15).
Finished win at San Jose (Oct. 6) with 4 TD passes, marking his second game of season with at least 4 TDs, and the 14^th time in program history for a QB to throw 4+ TD passes (second by Carta-Samuels)
Punched in a 1-yard rushing touchdown, his first of the season, with 4:24 remaining in the first half of win over New Mexico (Oct. 13) ... second rushing TD of his collegiate career (had one as a redshirt-freshman at Washington in 2014).
Connected with Preston Williams on a 47-yard TD pass with 0:02 remaining in the first half at Boise State (Oct. 19).
Entered final game of the year, on Thanksgiving Day at Air Force (11/22) after Collin Hill was injured, and completed 6-of-9 for 89 yards, with a TD and an INT.
Finishes collegiate career with all of his personal records broken at CSU.

2014-2017 (at Washington): Played in 25 games over four years at Washington... Had 47 career pass attempts at UW, completing 27 of them for 310 yards and three touchdowns.

Played in eight games in 2017, completing 8-of-10 passes for 82 yards.
Appeared in nine games in 2016, completing 9-of-13 passes for 104 yards and three TDs.
Led a late scoring drive in a win over No. 7 Stanford in 2016.
Also appeared in the 2017 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl against Alabama.
Played in eight games in 2015, going 10-for-24 for 124 yards.
Made his collegiate debut at Boise State in 2015.
Redshirted in 2014 and won the team's scout squad MVP award.

HIGH SCHOOL:

Named first-team All-West Catholic Athletic League as a quarterback in 2013.
Led Bells to an 8-4 record and the semifinals of the CIF Central Coast Section Open Division playoffs as a senior in 2013.
Invited to play in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl following senior year.
As a junior in 2012, completed 70-of-129 passes for 1,230 yards and 12 touchdowns while rushing for 632 yards and 12 TDs on 129 carries.
Team went 11-2 and made it to the championship game of the playoffs in his junior season.
Earned WCAL Junior of the Year and first-team all-league in 2012.
Named to the Tacoma News-Tribune's "Western 100".
Rivals.com ranked him the No. 10 pro-style quarterback in the nation, the No. 26 overall prospect in California and the No. 225 recruit in the nation.
Rated the No. 14 "pocket passer" in the country and the No. 27 overall recruit in California and No. 264 in the nation by ESPN.
Scout.com tabbed him the No. 23 quarterback prospect in the country and the No. 35 recruit in California.

PERSONAL:

Older brother, Austyn, played QB at Vanderbilt and Wyoming, and is on the coaching staff at Missouri in 2018
Father, James Samuels, played at Utah State, as did his uncle.
Sister, Gabby, plays volleyball at Colorado.