Meet the Tennessee Football Newcomers: Vols Safety Nigel Warrior
Here is an analysis of incoming 2016 Tennessee football recruit Nigel Warrior, who joins the Volunteers as a safety.
Another legacy player coming to Knoxville was part of the loaded secondary Butch Jones and the coaching staff were going for in recruiting this past year, and that legacy player is safety Nigel Warrior. The son of two-time Tennessee Football All-American safety Dale Carter in 1990 and 1991, Warrior committed to the Vols on National Signing Day.
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A four-star on Rivals out of Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, Ga., Warrior is not just another elite Georgia prospect coming to Tennessee. He is an Army All-American looking onto carry his father’s legacy, from roughly the same position. To be fair, Carter was much more of a lockdown and speedy cornerback who could catch anything. Warrior is more of a safety who sits back and plays center field.
The 5’11” 189-pound defensive back brings a diverse background to Knoxville of playing in the secondary, though, and his knowledge of the game appears to be very high based on what he has said about it.
Add in growing up in a football family, and it is hard to see Warrior not working out.
Early Analysis
Remember Dale Carter’s ability to not just cover but return interceptions for long gains along with kickoffs and punts as well? Warrior brings all of that to the table.
The biggest thing that sticks out if you watch film of Warrior is his vision. He can return anything for a touchdown, and since he lined up on both sides of the ball, he would often take screen passes as a receiver and run them in for touchdowns.
Warrior is not much of a lockdown man-to-man cornerback, but he can play the field and get to any ball. And the biggest asset he brings beyond his father is his physical play.
There is no doubt from watching the film that Warrior loves to tackle as well. He has been used on kickoff coverage and to cheat up on running plays to bring down the running back. He should be able to do that in Knoxville as well if he can put on a few pounds.
Doing that will mean no weaknesses in Warrior’s game if he can keep his speed and vision in tact. This is the smartest player in the 2016 recruiting class, and his advanced football knowledge gives him a huge leg up.
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What Nigel Warrior Brings to Tennessee
The Vols get another player to add to the safety rotation in Knoxville, which Butch Jones and Bob Shoop both know is a huge deal considering the departures of both starting safeties from last year, Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil.
Warrior also will allow for some competition for one of those starting spots once August practices begin. Consider for a second that while Todd Kelly is a lock at one safety spot, nobody is proven at the other spot, including safety Evan Berry, the likely starter.
If there is nobody to step up at the position in the spring, Warrior could fill a much-needed void once he steps onto campus in the Summer. He is so good already that he will be able to start immediately, and every other defensive back should be looking over their shoulders for him.
If Warrior does not get the starting role, he will not be anywhere below the second-team at safety, so here at All for Tennessee we are predicting him to be in the rotation early and see lots of action this year as a freshman on the football field.