Amari Carter enters his Sophomore year on the Miami Football team as the backup to Senior Star safety Jaquan Johnson. Carter had a good Freshman season with 26 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. He played in all 13 games last season.
Carter is part of a deep but young secondary for the Miami Football team. Junior Romeo Finley and Sophomore Derrick Smith have moved to the newly created position of striker.
Without Finley and Smith at safety, Carter and Redshirt Junior Robert Knowles give the Hurricanes some experience behind Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine. Freshman Gurvan Hall is an exceptional talent who is listed behind Knowles on the depth chart and also expected to see time this season.
Although they are both safeties on the second-team defense, Carter is currently behind Knowles as the third safety overall per their position coach Ephraim Banda.
Knowles played in 12 of the 13 Miami football games in 2017. He had 18 tackles and a forced fumble last season. Carter’s calling card is his physical ability. He needs to be able to take what he learns in practice and apply it to the field. Banda spoke to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson last month to discuss Carter.
"“Amari is extremely physical. He has proven to the locker-room his toughness and ability to strike, which is the number one thing in our room. Now he has to stop making the small, little mistakes.He has to stop repeating mistakes. If he makes a mistake and corrects it, then great. But if he makes mistakes and makes it again, that’s not what we’re looking for.One big thing that happened in the Spring game- I told him something and he went out there and didn’t do it and it cost us a big long pass right before halftime.I told him I can’t put you in the game if I tell you what’s going to happen and you don’t do it and it looks like (Freshman cornerback) DJ (Ivey) made a mistake and it wasn’t- it was on you.He’s learning he has to do it exactly what I want him to do. He wants to, he’s just young. (He) has excelled in the weight room and really improved his speed and agility.”"
After speaking to Jackson last month, Banda gave him an update on Carter last week.
"“Amari is starting to have some growth is understanding why I do this. The more he understands why all of a sudden things really open up for him."
Defensive Coordinator Manny Diaz elaborated to Jackson what Banda said about Carter.
"“We know (Carter) is one of the hardest hitters on our team. The question now is are you the dependable guy?Not every tackle has to be a movie tackle where the guy ends up like Charlie Brown, head over heels. The biggest thing we call it is the get the guy on the ground. They don’t award style points for that.”"
We saw how the first team defense performed in 2017. That’s not a concern for Diaz and his defensive staff. It is players like Carter and the second team that have to show they are ready to step up. Banda elaborated.
"“We’re encouraged with what we have with our first group…Now it’s all about developing that second group.”"
The Miami football team stumbled at the end of 2017 after they suffered some crippling injuries. Richt and his staff have worked to develop depth through recruiting and working with the players already on the roster.
Getting players like Carter to take to coaching and to learn and grow from their mistakes will help the Hurricanes overall as a football team. The young group behind Johnson and Redwine will also get a chance to learn as their backups and be ready to move up the depth chart in 2019.