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Is Amari Carter the Missing Piece to Miami’s Safety Puzzle?

After the graduation of senior’s Jamal Carter and Rayshawn Jenkins, Miami fans are pointing to freshman Amari Carter as the solution at safety.

By David F. Perez
Amari Carter is ready to compete as a freshman this spring
247Sports

On Monday night, word came out of Miami that safety Cedrick Wright will not return to the program in 2017.

Wright, who is entering his sophomore season, was slated to be a large part of the safety competition in the spring.

Miami must replace seniors Jamal Carter and Rayshawn Jenkins at the safety spot, and must now look for another safety to play alongside the assumed starter Jaquan Johnson.

Romeo Finley and Robert Knowles are two of the returning players expected to push for the other starting spot, but there is a growing belief that Amari Carter may be the answer at that position.

“Whoever comes out is going to be the starters,” safeties coach Ephraim Banda told 247sports. “And it doesn’t matter if it’s a freshman, junior, sophomore, it doesn’t matter.”

Carter, who stands at 6’2” 188 lbs, is an early enrollee for the ‘Canes and will participate in spring practice.

Carter is going through his first semester as a student this spring, and is a fan favorite due to his physical style of play.

“Physically as a player on the field we all know he does what I love most and that’s tackle,” Banda said to 247sports. “He’s a physical dude and he plays hard. We’re excited. We can’t wait to get him in here. I hope that he can become a Jamal Carter-type player, I really do.”

Carter embraces the physicality as well.

“I love tackling. I love contact,” Carter said. “I am not an angry person, so I am not sure. I just flip that switch on the field. That is football. It is what I was taught at a young age.”

Carter’s tackling ability is one of the main reasons why he is expected to bring major competition in the spring, and was his best attribute in high school.

Carter said a big part of his decision to come to Miami was the ability to play early, and says he enrolled this spring to embrace the competition.

Coming into 2017 it is clear Jaquan Johnson is a likely starter, but regardless of whether or not Carter wins the second job, he is ready to enter the fold.

“I wanted to be a step ahead in my books. I wanted to get on the field and play and be that piece of the puzzle that they are looking for right now,” Carter said.