Hailing from Kentwood, Louisiana, Shyheim Carter initially committed to Alabama during the spring of 2015, and at the time was one of the most prized members of that class. Two days after a visit to Oxford, Mississippi, he decommitted from the Crimson Tide and reopened the recruiting process.
Once the season ended, Carter took official visits to Miami, Alabama, and finally Ole Miss. He joined fellow corner Nigel Knott in both the Tuscaloosa and Oxford visits, and many speculated that the two had become friends and were in favor of playing together to become a multi-year cornerback tandem in college.