Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter has missed multiple team activities and was confronted by team leaders, Knox News’ Adam Sparks reported. As a result, his status with the program is “uncertain.”
Carter put together a strong freshman season with the Vols last year, appearing in all 13 games. He totaled 38 tackles, including three tackles for loss and a sack, along with an interception during that time to cement his role on the Tennessee defense. He also served as the Volunteers’ punt returner, taking 12 kicks back for 198 yards.
Knox News reported Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is expected to address Carter’s situation when he meets with reporters July 29. Tennessee is scheduled to open training camp July 30.
In December, Carter announced his plans to be back at Tennessee in 2025 despite speculation about whether he could enter the transfer portal. In his announcement, he mentioned The Volunteer Club – the Tennessee-focused NIL collective – to indicate he signed a new NIL deal.
Carter arrived at Tennessee last year as a four-star prospect out of Chattanooga (TN) Bradley Central. He was the No. 111 overall player and No. 3-ranked player from the state of Tennessee from the 2024 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.
Boo Carter’s situation comes as Tennessee is navigating life after Nico Iamaleava’s departure from the program toward the end of spring practice. On3’s Pete Nakos reported negotiations were taking place about Iamaleava’s agreement at UT, but he wound up missing practice the day before Tennessee’s spring game. That led Heupel to inform the team the former five-star quarterback would enter the transfer portal, and he later committed to UCLA.
Speaking at SEC Media Days last week, Heupel addressed Iamaleava’s departure and echoed a similar sentiment to his comments after Tennessee’s spring game. He pointed out the culture within the locker room and also said a “next man up” mentality is important regardless of the time of year.
“Ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s never about who’s not in your building,” Heupel said. “It’s about who is in your building. For us, you can lose a quarterback at a lot of different times. December transfer portal, Spring transfer portal. You can lose one Week 1, first quarter of a ball game, in your open, and now you’re on to number two through injury.
“You’ve got to have a next guy up mentality. At the end of the day, having the right guys that want to be there, want to compete with their brothers that are inside of that locker room, building that connection, but also having the right guys in there.”
Source link
