He earned his bachelor’s degree the morning of Saturday’s Open Practice/Fan Day inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, but for Shyheim Carter, his senior season can end with a national championship with the Crimson Tide.
The former four-star from Kentwood, La., took over starting duties at nickel last season for the departed Minkah Fitzpatrick and stepped up.
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Through 15 games, Carter shared the team lead in pass breakups (10) and totaled two interceptions – both returned for touchdowns.
He was a major factor in the Southeastern Conference title game, recording a career-high three breakups and totaled five tackles.
Not many media outlets project Carter as a first-round selection for next year’s NFL Draft; however, Nick Saban sees the 6-foot defender as the most important piece in the Alabama’s defensive secondary.
He said Carter would rank in the “top two to three individuals” he’s coached in terms of knowledge and versatility.
“Shy has actually played every position here for us,” Saban said.
“He started out at cornerback, we made him star and because he was a pretty star, we sort of had him play money. We also have him play safety. He can answer every question in a meeting about every position. He would be a great coach. It creates a lot of diversity for him as a player and it means something to him.”
Carter is one of two Tide standouts (DeVonta Smith) who seems to get national attention from just Pro Football Focus. The site that dives into the analytics of both college and professional football names Carter as Alabama’s leader for this fall.
He lined up third in drill at safety, behind Xavier McKinney and Jared Mayden.
Carter will battle some of the nation’s best wide receivers, but he’s prepared – seeing how he faces the best competition in practice every day.
“It’s hard,” Carter said in defending the Tide’s receivers.
“We have to play either a zone coverage or a man coverage and we know that any time those guys have the ball in their hands, they break off for a huge gain or a touchdown. The competitive nature for our secondary, we be ready for them.”
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
