Tennessee is heading into the season without one of its most important defensive pieces, and the reason has plenty of people around college football shaking their heads.
Linebacker Arion Carter, the Volunteers’ best linebacker and one of their captains, is expected to miss the first two games because of an NCAA rule tied to travel and return-to-school eligibility. The issue traces back to a trip Carter made to an NFL pre-draft training facility, a visit that was reportedly worth roughly $427. Under NCAA rules, student-athletes who want to keep their college eligibility can’t allow an agent of a professional team to pay for a flight to a pre-draft or training facility.
That has created a messy situation for players caught between the draft process and a possible return to school. Some players declare for the NFL Draft with no intention of coming back, only to change course before the return window closes. The source material notes that the NCAA’s rule structure has also been bent in other areas through loopholes, including situations that have allowed semi-pro players back onto college basketball rosters.
The decision has stirred up strong reactions well beyond Knoxville. Brooks Austin, known to many as “The Film Guy” on YouTube, blasted the NCAA over the suspension. He wrote on X:
"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,"
Even with Carter out, Tennessee does have options at linebacker. Amare Campbell arrived as a player expected to start this season, and the Vols also have Edwin Spillman and Jadon Perlotte in the mix.
Jeremiah Telander, another team captain, is back as well. Tennessee may also lean on freshmen Brayden Rouse and TJ White, both of whom are expected to be stars in the college world.
In Other News...
Tennessee Faces A Uniform Decision Fans Never Expected This Soon
College sports next revenue stream has arrived, and it could force Tennessee to make a decision fans never really expected to be part of the conversation this soon. The NCAA Division I Cabinet has approved commercial patches on uniforms, equipment and apparel, opening the door for schools to sell ad space in ways that were once off-limits. Ohio State has already moved first with a reported JPMorgan Chase deal that is said to top $15 million annually and even includes NIL opportunities, setting a benchmark other bluebloods will be watching closely.
For Tennessee, the question is no longer whether this kind of move is possible, but whether it makes sense to act quickly enough to benefit before football season gets underway in just over a month. Any patch would have to fit a program that has long valued a clean look, and the Vols would also have to decide which corporate partner best matches the brand. A longtime UT Athletics tie makes one obvious candidate stand out, while another familiar name around campus could also enter the conversation if Tennessee decides to test the market. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Heupel Is Taking Another Massive Recruiting Swing After Georges Win
Josh Heupel is taking another big swing on the recruiting trail as Tennessee pushes to stay aggressive in the race for elite defensive talent before the early signing period in December. The Vols are reportedly working to flip a top-ranked EDGE prospect who remains committed to Ohio State, a reminder that Tennessee is not backing off its pursuit of blue-chip defenders even after recent success against the Buckeyes.
The target sits near the top of the national board and has drawn interest from a long list of programs, including Miami, which only adds to the uncertainty around where this one is headed. For Tennessee, the appeal is obvious: landing a player of that caliber would be another major statement, but with the recruiting battle still unfolding, the final answer may not come quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Bret Bielema Just Gave Tennessee Fans Another Reason To Be Furious
Bret Bielema had SEC fans rolling their eyes again at Big Ten Media Days, using the stage to take a shot at the league and the way it has tried to preserve its old power structure. The Illinois coach framed the modern landscape as one that has helped programs like his, with NIL and the transfer portal changing the balance of college football and giving schools outside the traditional heavyweights a better path forward.
For Tennessee fans, the irritation is easy to understand. Bielema is not exactly a fresh voice from the outside, given his Arkansas background and his long history against SEC opponents, and his comments land differently after Illinois edged Tennessee in the Music City Bowl last December. In a conference that already lives on edge about outside criticism, Bielema managed to stir up plenty of old frustration with one more reminder that he is happy to poke at the league whenever the microphone is in front of him. [Read more 🡒]