Tennessee is going to open the season without Arion Carter, and the reason has plenty of people around college football shaking their heads.
The Volunteers’ best linebacker and team captain will miss the first two games because of an NCAA rule tied to a trip to an NFL pre-draft training facility. Carter’s trip was reported to be worth about $427, and the NCAA prohibits student-athletes who hope to return to college from allowing an agent of a professional team to pay for a flight to a pre-draft or training facility.
That rule has become a sore spot because it can leave players in a strange middle ground. Some athletes declare for the NFL Draft without planning to come back, then change course before the return window closes. The source also notes that NCAA rules have been bent in other areas through loopholes, including situations that have allowed semi-pro players to return to college basketball.
The reaction has gone well beyond Tennessee’s fan base. Brooks Austin, known to many as “The Film Guy” on YouTube, blasted the NCAA over the suspension.
“The NCAA chooses to enforce their “power” over the dumbest stuff. This is the equivalent of giving out parking tickets next to a dude shooting up," Brooks Austin stated on X.
Even with Carter out, Tennessee does have options at linebacker. Amare Campbell, a newcomer who was expected to start this season, is part of that group, along with Edwin Spillman and Jadon Perlotte. The Vols also bring back Jeremiah Telander, another team captain, and could lean on freshmen Brayden Rouse and TJ White, both of whom are expected to be stars in the college world.
In Other News...
Matt Campbell Just Reopened Old Iowa State Feelings At Penn State
Matt Campbells first Big Ten media day as Penn States coach brought the conversation back to the culture he built at Iowa State, even if the setting was now very different. Campbell talked about the coaching philosophy and team traits that helped turn the Cyclones into a consistent winner, and he made clear those same ideas are driving how he is trying to shape Penn State, where a roster full of Iowa State transfers has given him a familiar starting point.
What makes the transition especially interesting for Cyclones fans is how much of Campbells identity is still tied to Ames, from the emphasis on leadership to the demand for cohesion inside the locker room. At Penn State, he is blending those lessons with a new mix of players and holdovers, trying to create the kind of accountability that has long been central to his program, while the echoes of what worked at Iowa State still hang over the move. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cyclone Nate Heise Just Took A Big Next Step
Nate Heises next stop comes with a fresh start overseas, as the former Iowa State guard is moving into the professional ranks after his college run at Northern Iowa and then two seasons with the Cyclones. Heise carved out a steady role in Ames, where he was available in every game last season and gave Iowa State the kind of dependable perimeter shooting and defensive presence coaches value from a veteran guard.
His Cyclone rsum also got a late boost in March, when he was one of the more reliable pieces in the NCAA Tournament and showed he could handle the moment against high-level competition. Now the challenge shifts to a different stage entirely, and it will be worth watching how quickly he adapts to a new league, a new country and the demands that come with starting a pro career. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cyclone Hason Ward Just Made His Next Career Move
Hason Wards pro path has taken him through a few different stops since leaving college, and the former Iowa State big man is still carving out a role built on defense and rim protection. The 6-foot-9 forward has already logged time in the NBA G League, the Italian first division and with the Rwandan National Team, a rsum that reflects the kind of versatility teams keep chasing in a player with his length and instincts.
Now Ward is headed into another season with a new opportunity after making his next move overseas. For Cyclone fans, it is another reminder of how much value he brought during his time in Ames, where his interior presence helped shape a team that made a deep run in March and gave him a strong platform for the pro game. [Read more 🡒]