TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Shyheim Carter is everything Nick Saban looks for in a defensive back. The 6-foot, 191-pound senior is smart, versatile, and according to the head coach, “one of the top two or three players on the team from a knowledge standpoint.”
“He can answer every question in a meeting about every position,” Saban said. “He would be a great, great coach. I think that’s what creates a lot of diversity for him as a player, to be able to play multiple positions because he’s very smart and it means something to him. He’s spent a lot of time trying to learn this stuff. He prepares well for the games.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Alabama lined Carter up at Star in 84.2 percent of his defensive snaps last season. However, the versatile corner has also seen time at outside corner, safety and Money throughout his career. This fall, Carter has spent the majority of his time next to Xavier McKinney at the free safety position, a role he said he’s “adapting pretty well to.”
However, Carter’s malleability will likely continue to see him bounce around the secondary as camp progresses. On top of his reps at safety, he’s also returned to the Star position at times during Alabama’s opening practices.
It’s still somewhat hard to pinpoint how the Crimson Tide envisions using Carter. The emergence of sophomore cornerback Josh Jobe has seemed to push Patrick Surtain II inside to Star while Trevon Diggs remains out wide as the other cornerback. Meanwhile, Jared Mayden has also received plenty of first-team reps next to McKinney at safety, often leaving Carter on the outside looking in during practice.
Alabama runs the majority of its defensive sets out of the nickel package, leaving five defensive backs on the field. That inevitably creates an odd-man-out situation in the Crimson Tide’s starting secondary.
However, it's far too early to begin forming any type of solid conclusions. Over the next few weeks, Alabama will likely continue to shuffle its secondary, twisting the Rubix’s cube until a perfect picture emerges. Where that leave’s Carter is anyone’s guess.
“To be honest with you, I have no clue,” Carter said. “Coach Saban makes those type of calls. I don’t have nothing to do with any of that, so whatever call he decides to make, we’ll go with that.”
Still, it is hard to imagine Alabama lining up without Carter this season. The former four-star recruit is back to full strength after being limited in the spring while returning from a sports hernia injury. Last year, Carter was tied with Deionte Thompson as Alabama’s highest-graded defensive back last year, earning an 88.4 mark from Pro Football Focus. He finished tied for second with two interceptions — both of which were returned for touchdowns — and was also second on the team with 10 pass deflections.
Entering his final year with the program, Carter knows better than to rely on past success. His focus early during camp is centered solely around helping the team by “being a better player each and every day out there on the field.” That being said, perhaps the biggest boost he can provide this spring comes off the field.
Carter, who earned his degree from Alabama last week, now practically serves as a player-coach in the Crimson Tide’s secondary. The senior’s experience at every position combined with his extensive knowledge and understanding of Saban’s defense makes him the perfect learning tool for Alabama’s younger backs.
“I’m teaching them everything I know, the ins and outs of it,” Carter said. “The guys before that taught me that position when I was a young guy. Even though they are older now, just teaching them the small things because that’s what really matters.”
That mentoring role will prove particularly essential for Surtain, who is still coping with the changes from corner to Star in his second year with the program. Alabama experimented with working Surtain at Star last fall, but the switch proved to be too much to handle during his freshman season.
While Surtain admits he still has plenty to learn at the position, the change has come a bit easier the second time around. The sophomore said Carter’s guidance has played a big part in that progression.
“Shy is a vet," Surtain said. “Just him teaching me the ways helps me a lot, especially at the Star position being a new position.”
Last season, Alabama had to replace its entire dime secondary. The result was a pass defense which allowed 198.3 yards per game through the air, including a particularly porous 318.7 yards over the final three games. Given the Crimson Tide’s returning depth, those numbers should improve this year regardless of how Alabama lines up.
“Now that we have a lot of experienced guys that are in the backend we’re pretty confident,” Carter said. “We were confident last year, but this year we’re ready.”
Carter seems determined to make sure of that.
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Andrew Bone, of BamaInsider.com, is a real estate broker in the state of Alabama.
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