The Remarkable Emergence of Nigel Warrior

Nigel Warrior, up to this year, was a cautionary tale about overhyping recruiting prospects. Expected to be the next best thing to his father, Dale Carter, it was probably more than any recruit could be expected to live up to. Until his senior season, Warrior had been a very pedestrian player. Good enough to not be taken off the field as a starter, but not particularly spectacular in any one area. Many times last season he found himself in the right place but unable to complete the play.

This season a light has come on for Warrior. His play the second half of the schedule has been All-SEC worthy. He leads the league in picks, tied with 3 others. He had 10 tackles vs. Georgia which seemed to be his coming-out party and two passes defended. He had a pick and 2 passes defended against Mississippi State in a win and set up a Tennessee touchdown at Bama with a pick in a game that should not have been as close as it was. Then he racked up 8 tackles against Kentucky with another interception.

Since Tennessee's first bye week, Nigel has had 44 tackles, 3 interceptions and 4 passes defended. He has transformed himself, under the tutelage of Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley, into an all-around defensive back. He holds up in coverage, he can come down into the box and cover the run, his ball skills are excellent. It was Nigel's decision to cover both Lynn Bowden initially and then the pitchman on the option that allowed Ja'Quain Blakely to tackle the QB at the line of scrimmage, virtually sealing the win for the Vols on a goal-line stand in Lexington.

Not only has his play on the field done the talking, but he has also backed up that play in the locker room as a leader which was crucial during the initial stretch of the season when Tennessee disappointed with a 1-4 record to start the year. Warrior helped hold the team together behind the scenes and was an encouraging voice that inspired confidence and helped the team turn their season around.

Time will tell what awards the senior defensive back will rack up at the end of the season. He has already made a case that he deserves to be considered by teams as a late draft pick and if not drafted will assuredly make some team's roster as an undrafted free agent.

Nigel Warrior is a shining example of the ability of Pruitt and Ansley to develop defensive backs into pro-ready prospects and that will go a long way on the recruiting trail to be sure.