Tennessee senior linebacker Arion Carter added another honor to his resume Thursday, landing on the 2026 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award watch list as one of 89 nominees.
The award’s watch list is built around more than production alone. Nominated by their schools, the players recognized have shown leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship on and off the field, and Carter’s case checks plenty of boxes.
On the field, Carter was Tennessee’s defensive anchor and a team captain in 2025, leading the Volunteers in tackles during the regular season even while dealing with a foot injury. He finished with 76 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across 10 games. His 7.6 tackles per game paced the SEC.
Carter, a Smyrna, Tennessee, native, was also one of 20 semifinalists for the Witten Award last year. After going through the NFL Draft process, he chose to return for his senior season.
His impact stretches well beyond game day. Carter was Tennessee’s representative on the 2025 SEC Football Leadership Council, where he provided guidance to the conference and Commissioner Greg Sankey. He also served as one of UT’s player representatives at SEC Media Days in both 2025 and 2026 and was part of the 2024-25 VOLeaders Academy, which ended with a service trip to Brazil.
Carter and his teammates have also made regular visits to patients at the Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital in Knoxville.
This summer, Carter shaved his head in support of his 24-year-old girlfriend, Mariah, who underwent a double mastechtomy and was undergoing chemotherapy to battle stage 2 breast cancer.
Earlier this week, Carter also announced a partnership with his mother Sheteka Alexander’s nonprofit, Girls in Real Life Situations (GIRLS), through which he will donate $427 for every tackle this season. He’ll also give $500 for every sack, $1,000 for every interception or forced fumble and $5,000 if he scores a defensive touchdown.
Twenty semifinalists will be chosen by a subset of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Selection Committee and announced Tuesday, Oct. 13. Three finalists will then be named Monday, Dec. 14, and the winner will be revealed at the award ceremony in Spring of 2027.
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