Rising star watch: Tyrique Carter

Photo contributed

We'll head up to the state's capitol for our next prospect. He's a Sacramento-area cornerback flying under the radar at an emerging talent-rich high school.

Tyrique Carter of Inderkum has put together a busy and solid offseason. Carter has hit up Passing Down, NFTC and the Rivals! camps to get his name out in the recruiting world. He comes from the same high school that recently produced 2013 quarterback C.J. Spencer (UC Davis) and hard-hitting safety Jordan Thomas (Arizona State).

Here's a closer look at Carter:

WHAT TO LIKE: Instincts is where we'll start. Carter does an excellent job with keeping his eyes locked on the football, then charge at a ball carrier like a bull seeing red. He doesn't hesitate to run at the football and blow a play up. Takes good pursuit angles to the ball on running plays. At 5-foot-10, 175-pounds, he has an advantage with keeping his body low and wrapping up a defender. He never tackled a defender too high and does a solid job of keeping his pad level low. Against the pass, Carter has enough speed to shadow a wide receiver and has a nose for the football. He's reliable in the zone coverage thanks to his speed and hands.

WHAT TO BUILD ON: Even though his fastest 40-yard dash time is 4.56, he can always get his speed down. Noticed that he made most of his pass break ups and interceptions while playing off of a wide receiver. Need to see if he can press and be physical at the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. Though he's an instinctive player, he tends to stop his feet while finishing a tackle. His size might become an issue when going against taller and more physical receivers.

OVERALL: Carter might not be the biggest cornerback or show elite speed as of now, but he's got a mean streak to him. The kind of nastiness any defensive coordinator would crave. This could be a big-time sleeper in the Sac Joaquin Section.

More on Carter: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2927926/highlights/109288375