One of the top young athletes in the country, and fastest rising stars, has made a decision on the next step of his athletic career.
Carlin Archer is headed to Auburn University in the Fall of 2026, deciding to compete for the Auburn Tigers in his collegiate career. Auburn has one of the top sprints and jumps programs in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I track and field, and as a promising young sprinter and jumper, Archer is expected to add significant value.
The 17-year-old 12th grader at St. Augustine’s College (SAC) said he’s looking forward to the journey. Archer officially signed a commitment letter with Auburn on Wednesday, revealing his decision at a press conference at the Andre Rodgers National Baseball Stadium.
“I’m excited … it feels amazing,” said Archer. “I feel like all the hard work finally paid off. It just felt like home to me. I felt comfortable. I just want to go there and perform as well as I can.”
Archer seemed to get better with every jump this year. In fact, he has been steadily improving for the last three years under the tutelage of high school and club coach Jason Edwards. Archer’s crowning glory moments came at the CARIFTA Games and the Penn Relays this year, winning gold at both.
At the 53rd CARIFTA Games in St. George’s, Grenada, Archer had a personal best jump of 7.68 meters (m) — 25’ 2-1/2” — for the gold medal in the under-20 boys long jump. At the 130th running of the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Archer leapt 7.47m (24’ 6-1/4”) to win gold in the high school boys’ long jump competition.
Archer’s leap of 7.68m is tied for 17th in the world in the under-20 division this year. He also has personal best leaps of 15.05m (49’ 4-1/2”) in the triple jump, and 1.92m (6’ 3-1/2”) in the high jump.
Archer is a strong sprinter as well, with personal best times of 10.82 seconds and 22.66 seconds in the 100 and 200m, respectively.
“This is a proud moment and I’m happy for him and his family,” said Edwards, head coach at UPward Performance Track and Field Club and head coach of athletics at SAC. “I believe Carlin will continue to excel; we are looking for even greater things from him.
“It’s a great feeling — to watch him progress and get to the point where he is now. He put in the work and he focussed this year, and the results came with it. His confidence went sky high. He kept on believing in himself and he put in the work.”
Archer will be under the leadership of Olympic gold medalist and former world record holder in multiple sprint events Leroy Burrell, who is the head coach of the track and field and cross country programs at Auburn. Burrell has successfully led the Tigers men’s team to consecutive top-five finishes at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
“They like him there. I always tell people, go where you’re celebrated, not where you’re tolerated, and they love him already,” said Edwards. “He believes in himself and I know he will put his best foot forward. He believes in the system at Auburn, and he will do exceptionally well.”
Arches said he’s looking forward to the challenge of competing in collegiate athletics. He wants to shine right away.
“I used to not like the long jump, and then I became good at it, so it became a favorite event of mine. It feels like a natural fit to me, and I’m just happy that I was able to excel this year,” said Archer. “I know that I have to continue to work hard. The season isn’t over for me yet. I still have world juniors to look forward to, and then it’s on to Auburn. The facilities are top notch at Auburn and the coaches are good. I’m just looking forward to performing to the best of my ability.”
Archer plans to compete in the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Junior and Senior National Championships and Invitational this year, and is looking to represent The Bahamas at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, from August 5-9, at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, USA.
From there, it’s on to Auburn where he will embark on his freshman year at one of the top collegiate athletic programs in the United States.
The sky is the limit for Archer.
