Miami Hurricanes safety Amari Carter ready to become a starter

Rising Junior Amari Carter is ready to assume a bigger role on the Miami Hurricanes defense in 2019. The graduation of the two-year starting safety tandem Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine gives an opportunity for players to move up on the depth chart.

Amari Carter has been a stellar contributor on special teams during his two years on the Miami Hurricanes. Carter has recorded 38 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and three pass breakups in his first two collegiate seasons. Miami isn’t deep at safety but they do have talent.

Rising Sophomore Bubba Bolden is his first year after transferring from USC, Rising Senior Robert Knowles, Rising Junior Derrick Smith and Rising Sophomore Gurvan Hall will be in the mix at safety. Rising Senior Romeo Finley the Miami Hurricanes most improved player as a striker in 2018 could also get a chance at safety.

Bolden and incoming Freshman Keontra Smith will not arrive until summer. Carter, Hall and Knowles are the only players on the Miami roster that played safety in 2018. Knowles and Derrick Smith missed a lot of the first week of spring practice with injuries. Knowles sat out Friday’s practice.

Miami co-defensive coordinator Blake Baker says he expects both back next week. Carter stepped in and impressed with the Hurricanes thin at safety this week.  Baker and Miami’s other co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Ephraim Banda biggest challenge in 2019 will be rebuilding the secondary, especially the safeties.

Johnson was vital in New Miami head coach Manny Diaz’s defense the past two seasons. He led the Hurricanes in tackles. Johnson and Redwine provided a lot of leadership for the Miami defense over the past two seasons. They set the foundation for their replacements as Jamal Carter and Rayshawn Jenkins did before them.

Banda spoke to Christy Chirinos from the Sun Sentinel about the importance of the Miami Hurricanes players learning from their peers and creating a culture that builds. That’s how Miami became a legendary program in the eighties, nineties and 2000s.

"“I see a sense of urgency. I see he had the ability to learn from two really good safeties and those two guys learned from Jamal [Carter] and Rayshawn [Jenkins]. So I see what we’ve done is we’ve built some culture and they’re starting to understand how important it is to practice. I see his growth.But I tell him every day: you haven’t done anything. It’s your job to go out there and prove it out here. Then you’re going to have to prove it in a scrimmage-like situation and he’s going to have to do it in a game.But the biggest thing that he did is he’s proved himself as a tough guy on special teams which has now opened the door for him to play on defense…I’d like to see Amari Carter try to do that (step up as a leader). But that’s for them to do. You can’t push that.”"

The two new safeties plus whoever replaces Michael Jackson at cornerback will have a big legacy from last year’s defense to live up to. Trajan Bandy is the only returning starter in the secondary.

Miami led the nation in pass defense in 2018. Miami allowed 135.6 passing yards per game. That was more than 12 YPG better than Michigan who was second.

Miami also led the nation in pass efficiency defense at 101.39 last season. There is a lot to configure with a Baker being new to the coaching staff and a young, but talented secondary entering 2019. It’s still early in the spring. Miami has three scrimmages coming up. That will allows