Georgia A Contender For Shyheim Carter?

There was a time when players decommitting from other schools was not the type of thing that concerned Bulldog fans. Back in the mid-2000's when dinosaurs roamed the Earth and Michael Strahan was a football player and not a talk show host, no coach stayed in his own lane and locked up recruiting classes before Labor Day quite like Mark Richt (save maybe Mack Brown at Texas).

But times have changed, especially in the past couple of recruiting cycles. It seems these days that if a highly regarded recruit anywhere in the southeast "just wants to look around" the coaches in Athens are often getting him to take a look around the Classic City. It may be happening again, as former Alabama commit Shyheim Carter announced recently that he needs a little more time to weigh his options.

The rising senior from Kentwood, Louisiana will have his pick of schools. At 6'0, 190 pounds and having been clocked under 4.40 in the forty, he projects to any position in the defensive backfield, perhaps even a hybrid "star" position in a lot of schemes. That's why 247Sports ranks Carter the #5 cornerback in the class of 2016 and the fifth best player in the state of Louisiana. I believe LSU will be tough to beat in the end for him, as we've seen this movie before. It's just tough to get top flight talent to leave the Bayou State. If he does cross state lines, Ole Miss will also be a strong contender. And of course there's nothing that prevents Carter from winding up right back with the Crimson Tide.

As 247Sports' Jake Rowe notes, however, crystal ball predictions for the Bulldogs have been rolling in, especially since Carter's friend, 2017 Amite, Louisiana athlete Devonta Smith committed to the 'Dawgs on Monday afternoon (Smith has described Carter as a "mentor").

The question that has to be asked at some point however is “Exactly how many defensive backs is Georgia going to have?” Last year’s class included seven signees currently training in the defensive backfield, which brings the total of underclassman defensive backs joining seniors Devin Bowman and Kennar Daniels-Johnson to thirteen. That total doesn't include walk-on redshirt sophomore Aaron Davis, who started much of 2014 and therefore would seem in line for an open scholarship in 2015. The 2016 class includes corners Malek Young, Tyrique McGhee, and Chad Clay right now. Georgia’s not going to turn a guy like Carter away if he wants to come to Athens, but it’s safe to say that the Bulldog coaches may be counting on some additional attrition in Coach Pruitt’s position group as they continue to find the right players on the back end of the Bulldog defense. Until later...

Go 'Dawgs!!!