Cameron Underwood
Sophomore
- Joined
- Aug 3, 2012
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Another day closer to signing day. Another day closer to finding out which collection of gentlemen will help the Miami Hurricanes return to dominance.
Today’s installment of the Recruit Notebook, we look at a player who has long been committed to The U, but who has garnered lots of recruiting attention from other programs: Miami Southridge Safety Jamal Carter.
Part 1: Jamal Carter, the player
Carter is an impressive physical specimen who has the body and the skills to be an impact player at the early in his collegiate career.
Measurables
Carter has good height at 6’2”. Unlike most High School recruits, Carter added quality size before his senior year, going from 195lbs to 210lbs. Carter was able to add that size without losing any of his athleticism. Carter uses his size well, and figures to become even more comfortable with his added bulk in coming years.
Carter has very good speed. He’s been timed at 4.5 and he plays to that speed in game. Carter has good short area quickness, and accelerates quickly out of his breaks. Carter’s athleticism allows him to make plays in a number of areas, and is the foundation for his status as a top recruit.
Tackling/Run Support
Carter is a very good tackler from the Safety position. He has good form on his tackles, and began to use his size with great success. Carter seems to love going for the “kill shot” hits whenever he can. Carter does a good job supporting the run, and most ball carriers/receivers aren’t able to get away from him once he closes.
Carter is rarely overmatched physically, and is able to tackle most players. Obviously a very large Tight End would not be the ideal match up for Carter, but I’m confident he would still be able to effectively bring the ball carrier down.
Blitzing
Blitzing is something that Carter does well, and is one of the biggest parts of his game. Carter has good instincts and great timing as a blitzer, and can be a devastating force in this area.
Carter has very good size and speed to disrupt either running or passing plays as a blitzer. He is strongly built, and can take down almost any Running Back or Quarterback who he encounters.
In Coach D’Onofrio’s scheme, I’m not sure how much blitzing he wants to do from the Safety position. But, if he chooses to add this wrinkle to his system, Jamal Carter figures to be a big part of that section of the gameplan.
Coverage
Coverage from the Safety position is similar to Cornerback, in that they are secondary positions who are the last line of defense for the team. Apart from that, their responsibilities couldn’t be more disparate. More often than not, Corners are tasked with lose proximity coverage duties, while Safties have medium to long distance coverage. Each position, therefore, requires its players to have differing skill sets.
Like most top athletes at the High School level, Carter was a dynamo in coverage. In man to man situations, he showed good discipline and average technique. Carter is a bit too stiff to be a dynamic man to man coverage player. If he can get a jam on a receiver, he does well in these situations. However, his technique in press coverage leaves much to be desired.
As a zone defender, Carter shows very good skills. He hits his depths well, and reacts well to receivers coming into or through his area. Carter can get caught peeking into the backfield at times, wanting to come forward and make a big hit. His eye discipline and tempering his aggressiveness will be keys to him remaining an effective coverage player at the collegiate level.
Carter, like most elite athletes, played a good bit of Receiver in high school. He displays decent ball skills, but not elite. He doesn’t seem to be a natural receiver, and can struggle making catches, although his athleticism will often put him in places where he has the opportunity to make the catch. With a bit of work, Carter should be able to improve this ability easily.
Positional Versatility
Players with Carter’s physical abilities usually fall under the “Jack of all trades, Master of none” umbrella. Carter, however, is pretty much a one trick pony. He plays Safety, and he does it very, very well.
Part 2: Game Evaluation
No matter where you looked during a Southridge game, there was a good chance you would see Jamal Carter impacting the game in some way. Carter was, quite often, the best athlete on the field, and his natural athletic ability was used in a variety of areas by the Southridge coaching staff.
Carter was used intermittently at Wide Receiver. Despite not being the most polished in his technique in this area, Carter was still able to use his athleticism to find open space and make plays. As an offensive player, Carter’s height (6’2”) was a valued asset in the passing game.
Carter’s other non-primary assignment was as kick and punt returner. Going back to his Junior season, Carter showed good vision, and great decisiveness on his return opportunities. Carter liked to run across the field, running against the grain on the first wave of coverage players. After that, the task was simple: turn on the jets, find the sideline, and score. Carter was able to do so on more than a few occasions.
Obviously, Carter’s main contribution to the game was his play on defense. Carter was a protean asset for the Spartans, one who was able to impact the game in a variety of ways on defense alone. He provided very good coverage from the Safety position, and even moved down to Corner from time to time.
In coverage, Carter was caught trying to make a big play for a team that, quite honestly, wasn’t nearly as good as they were billed to be before the season. At times, he was able to do just that. At others, Carter was unable to provide the otherworldly performance that Southridge needed from him to stay competitive.
When staying within the scheme of the defense, Carter displayed great skill and outstanding performance. Carter showcased average on-field instincts, and relied heavily on his athletic gifts to make plays. While this is something he was able to get away with at the High School level, Carter would be well served to work on his play recognition and full scheme (both offense and defense) understanding as he progresses to the Collegiate game.
Carter is a good pursuit player, and takes good angles in the open field. Carter makes most of his tackles in space, and seems to understand what opposing players will try to do to evade him once they have the ball. This ability, open field tackling, is Carter’s greatest asset.
Carter is a leader for his team, and his teammates love playing with and for him. He is a player who inspires with his words and his actions. Carter is a high energy player, whose burgeoning strength is something that fuels the fire for his entire team. If Carter is able to be a leader of men while still learning the game, I am anxious to see what he can be once he is settled at the Collegiate level.
Part 3: College Projection
Coming from High School, Carter has a college ready body. He has good height at 6’2”, very good size at 210lbs, and the speed/quickness combo to contribute early on. While he can, and will, mature physically, Carter is in a very good place to see the field early on.
As I noted in my profiles of Rashard Robinson and Artie Burns, Defensive Back is a position of questionable depth that sorely needs players of Carter’s ability. Carter figures to be, at worst, a rotation player from the 2-deep his freshman season. While he figures to be the backup to Freshman All-American Deon Bush, Carter will still have a role on next year’s team.
A player who Carter compares to is New York Jets Safety and former LSU Tiger LaRon Landry. Both are powerful players who impact games with their zone coverage, elite athleticism, and punishing physical play. While Landry’s play has incited many debates in the blogosphere, he was a First Team All-American as a Senior, and named a Pro Bowler for his play during the 2012 NFL season. Both players have their flaws, but the good they can do outweighs the bad more often than not.
Final Grades
Athleticism – A
Football IQ – C
Tackling/Run Support – B+
Coverage skills – Man: C-/ Zone: B+
Fundamentals and Technique – B
Leadership/Maturity – A
Physical development – B+
Versatility – C+
Potential – B+
Overall Recruit Grade – B+
Carter is a top talent who should see the field early in Coral Gables. Along with Tracy Howard, Deon Bush, Rayshawn Jenkins and others, Carter adds another piece to an improving secondary whose play will undoubtedly be one of the main factors in the on field success the Hurricanes are able to achieve in coming years.
Many schools have tried to make a charge late for Carter, but all indications point to him going up US-1 and joining the resurrection of the U.
Another player from the State of Miami is staying home. And Carter’s hometown Hurricanes are all the better for it.
Today’s installment of the Recruit Notebook, we look at a player who has long been committed to The U, but who has garnered lots of recruiting attention from other programs: Miami Southridge Safety Jamal Carter.
Part 1: Jamal Carter, the player
Carter is an impressive physical specimen who has the body and the skills to be an impact player at the early in his collegiate career.
Measurables
Carter has good height at 6’2”. Unlike most High School recruits, Carter added quality size before his senior year, going from 195lbs to 210lbs. Carter was able to add that size without losing any of his athleticism. Carter uses his size well, and figures to become even more comfortable with his added bulk in coming years.
Carter has very good speed. He’s been timed at 4.5 and he plays to that speed in game. Carter has good short area quickness, and accelerates quickly out of his breaks. Carter’s athleticism allows him to make plays in a number of areas, and is the foundation for his status as a top recruit.
Tackling/Run Support
Carter is a very good tackler from the Safety position. He has good form on his tackles, and began to use his size with great success. Carter seems to love going for the “kill shot” hits whenever he can. Carter does a good job supporting the run, and most ball carriers/receivers aren’t able to get away from him once he closes.
Carter is rarely overmatched physically, and is able to tackle most players. Obviously a very large Tight End would not be the ideal match up for Carter, but I’m confident he would still be able to effectively bring the ball carrier down.
Blitzing
Blitzing is something that Carter does well, and is one of the biggest parts of his game. Carter has good instincts and great timing as a blitzer, and can be a devastating force in this area.
Carter has very good size and speed to disrupt either running or passing plays as a blitzer. He is strongly built, and can take down almost any Running Back or Quarterback who he encounters.
In Coach D’Onofrio’s scheme, I’m not sure how much blitzing he wants to do from the Safety position. But, if he chooses to add this wrinkle to his system, Jamal Carter figures to be a big part of that section of the gameplan.
Coverage
Coverage from the Safety position is similar to Cornerback, in that they are secondary positions who are the last line of defense for the team. Apart from that, their responsibilities couldn’t be more disparate. More often than not, Corners are tasked with lose proximity coverage duties, while Safties have medium to long distance coverage. Each position, therefore, requires its players to have differing skill sets.
Like most top athletes at the High School level, Carter was a dynamo in coverage. In man to man situations, he showed good discipline and average technique. Carter is a bit too stiff to be a dynamic man to man coverage player. If he can get a jam on a receiver, he does well in these situations. However, his technique in press coverage leaves much to be desired.
As a zone defender, Carter shows very good skills. He hits his depths well, and reacts well to receivers coming into or through his area. Carter can get caught peeking into the backfield at times, wanting to come forward and make a big hit. His eye discipline and tempering his aggressiveness will be keys to him remaining an effective coverage player at the collegiate level.
Carter, like most elite athletes, played a good bit of Receiver in high school. He displays decent ball skills, but not elite. He doesn’t seem to be a natural receiver, and can struggle making catches, although his athleticism will often put him in places where he has the opportunity to make the catch. With a bit of work, Carter should be able to improve this ability easily.
Positional Versatility
Players with Carter’s physical abilities usually fall under the “Jack of all trades, Master of none” umbrella. Carter, however, is pretty much a one trick pony. He plays Safety, and he does it very, very well.
Part 2: Game Evaluation
No matter where you looked during a Southridge game, there was a good chance you would see Jamal Carter impacting the game in some way. Carter was, quite often, the best athlete on the field, and his natural athletic ability was used in a variety of areas by the Southridge coaching staff.
Carter was used intermittently at Wide Receiver. Despite not being the most polished in his technique in this area, Carter was still able to use his athleticism to find open space and make plays. As an offensive player, Carter’s height (6’2”) was a valued asset in the passing game.
Carter’s other non-primary assignment was as kick and punt returner. Going back to his Junior season, Carter showed good vision, and great decisiveness on his return opportunities. Carter liked to run across the field, running against the grain on the first wave of coverage players. After that, the task was simple: turn on the jets, find the sideline, and score. Carter was able to do so on more than a few occasions.
Obviously, Carter’s main contribution to the game was his play on defense. Carter was a protean asset for the Spartans, one who was able to impact the game in a variety of ways on defense alone. He provided very good coverage from the Safety position, and even moved down to Corner from time to time.
In coverage, Carter was caught trying to make a big play for a team that, quite honestly, wasn’t nearly as good as they were billed to be before the season. At times, he was able to do just that. At others, Carter was unable to provide the otherworldly performance that Southridge needed from him to stay competitive.
When staying within the scheme of the defense, Carter displayed great skill and outstanding performance. Carter showcased average on-field instincts, and relied heavily on his athletic gifts to make plays. While this is something he was able to get away with at the High School level, Carter would be well served to work on his play recognition and full scheme (both offense and defense) understanding as he progresses to the Collegiate game.
Carter is a good pursuit player, and takes good angles in the open field. Carter makes most of his tackles in space, and seems to understand what opposing players will try to do to evade him once they have the ball. This ability, open field tackling, is Carter’s greatest asset.
Carter is a leader for his team, and his teammates love playing with and for him. He is a player who inspires with his words and his actions. Carter is a high energy player, whose burgeoning strength is something that fuels the fire for his entire team. If Carter is able to be a leader of men while still learning the game, I am anxious to see what he can be once he is settled at the Collegiate level.
Part 3: College Projection
Coming from High School, Carter has a college ready body. He has good height at 6’2”, very good size at 210lbs, and the speed/quickness combo to contribute early on. While he can, and will, mature physically, Carter is in a very good place to see the field early on.
As I noted in my profiles of Rashard Robinson and Artie Burns, Defensive Back is a position of questionable depth that sorely needs players of Carter’s ability. Carter figures to be, at worst, a rotation player from the 2-deep his freshman season. While he figures to be the backup to Freshman All-American Deon Bush, Carter will still have a role on next year’s team.
A player who Carter compares to is New York Jets Safety and former LSU Tiger LaRon Landry. Both are powerful players who impact games with their zone coverage, elite athleticism, and punishing physical play. While Landry’s play has incited many debates in the blogosphere, he was a First Team All-American as a Senior, and named a Pro Bowler for his play during the 2012 NFL season. Both players have their flaws, but the good they can do outweighs the bad more often than not.
Final Grades
Athleticism – A
Football IQ – C
Tackling/Run Support – B+
Coverage skills – Man: C-/ Zone: B+
Fundamentals and Technique – B
Leadership/Maturity – A
Physical development – B+
Versatility – C+
Potential – B+
Overall Recruit Grade – B+
Carter is a top talent who should see the field early in Coral Gables. Along with Tracy Howard, Deon Bush, Rayshawn Jenkins and others, Carter adds another piece to an improving secondary whose play will undoubtedly be one of the main factors in the on field success the Hurricanes are able to achieve in coming years.
Many schools have tried to make a charge late for Carter, but all indications point to him going up US-1 and joining the resurrection of the U.
Another player from the State of Miami is staying home. And Carter’s hometown Hurricanes are all the better for it.
