Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Carter Stoutmire, left, shares a laugh with head coach Deion Sanders during football practice on Aug. 12, 2024, in Boulder, Colo. (CU Athletics)
In coming to Colorado, Carter Stoutmire knew that he needed to be ready to adjust.
“(Cornerbacks coach Kevin) Mathis was like, ‘You’re gonna be our swing guy.’ So wherever they need me, that’s where I was gonna be able to fit in,” Stoutmire said this week.
The sophomore defensive back from Plano, Texas, has been needed the past couple of weeks and he’s delivered for the Buffs (2-1), who host Baylor (2-1) at Folsom Field on Saturday (6 p.m., Fox).
After playing just 10 snaps in the season opener, Stoutmire has filled in for injured safety Shilo Sanders the past two weeks, posting 11 tackles and a pass breakup. Stoutmire is slated to start again this week as Sanders continues to recover from a broken forearm.
Going into CU’s Week 2 game at Nebraska, Stoutmire was working at strong safety in case starter Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig couldn’t play. But, Silmon-Craig was ready to go and less than five minutes into the game, Sanders was injured.
“(Defensive coordinator Robert) Livingston was like, ‘Whoever is down, you’re the first one to go in,’” Stoutmire said. “When Shilo went down, I was like, ‘This my time. Just couldn’t mess up my moment.’”
Stoutmire played nine games last year at corner (posting 11 tackles), but has bounced between corner and safety during his time with the Buffs.
“It’s a lot different,” he said. “Just being at corner, you’re not used to being in the box as much and seeing all that action. So it’s really, it’s a big adjustment, but it’s been fun, though, just being able to be versatile, being able to play multiple positions.
“I like being versatile. Wherever they put me I’m gonna ball. Corner’s fun, but safety, it’s different. You see the whole picture.”
Stoutmire certainly has a good mentor at safety in his father, Omar Stoutmire, an 11-year NFL veteran who played part of his career with CU head coach Deion Sanders. They were teammates with the Dallas Cowboys from 1997-98.
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“He’s always critiqued me, like, the small things, you know, just stuff that,” Stoutmire said of learning from his father. “Just being able to have him, just to call him whenever I have a question, and stuff like that. Also Shilo and Cam, they’ve always been good mentors to me as well.”
Livingston has helped a lot, too. He came to CU this year from the Cincinnati Bengals, where he coached safeties for several years.
“He’s a great guy,” Stoutmire said of Livingston. “I really like his scheme, a whole lot of man stuff, so the dudes on the outside gotta eat, pass rushers got to get home; so that’s how it should be.”
For Stoutmire, it’s a joy just being able to play and contribute. He missed a lot of the offseason with an injury, but has certainly come back strong.
“It feels great,” he said. “You know, not being able to play at all in the spring and being back full strength now it’s just a blessing, really. I just thank God that I’m back fully healthy and balling now.”
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