Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel provides important update on Vols defensive back Boo Carter
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel provided an update on Saturday on sophomore defensive back Boo Carter. Carter started fall camp as a limited participant due to disciplinary reasons (Carter reportedly missed numerous activities over the summer). Heupel said at the beginning of fall camp that Carter has “some things” he has to do in […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel provided an update on Saturday on sophomore defensive back Boo Carter.
Carter started fall camp as a limited participant due to disciplinary reasons (Carter reportedly missed numerous activities over the summer).
Heupel said at the beginning of fall camp that Carter has “some things” he has to do in order to fully return to the team (Carter appeared to return to practice in a full capacity earlier this week).
On Saturday, after Tennessee’s first fall scrimmage, Heupel provided an update on Carter.
“When we started training camp and I talked to you guys, there were steps that he had to take to continue to earn his place in the scope of what we’re doing as a football team,” said Heupel. “He has taken those steps. He’s continued to grow. I like what he’s been able to do here, in particular, the last four days. What’s going to transpire, it’s a day to day [process]. We’re taking it day to day at this point, I guess is the best way to say it.
“Boo was involved in what we’re doing (in the scrimmage on Saturday),” added Heupel.
It’s certainly good news for Tennessee that Carter took part in Saturday’s scrimmage — that’s a sign that the dynamic defensive back is on track to be a key part of the team this fall.
The other big question surrounding Carter is whether he’s still going to be involved on the offensive side of the ball (which was the plan before he missed team activities over the summer).
Heupel was specifically asked on Saturday if Carter is receiving any wide receiver reps. The fifth-year Vols head coach, unsurprisingly, declined to give an answer.
Knoxville News Sentinel reporter Adam Sparks joined 104.5 The Zone’s The Buck Reising Show this past week and he shared his thoughts on Carter seeing time on offense in 2025. Sparks specifically noted that Carter was pushing for time on offense more than Tennessee was pushing for it.
“It seems pretty far right now,” said Sparks when asked when fans may see Carter on offense. “I think he’ll probably — if he behaves himself and all of those sort of things during the season — I think he’ll probably end up on offense, at least for a handful of plays, in some kind of package during the season. You never know how things are going to go, but if they like what they have in practice and they need him to catch three balls against Alabama in October, I’m sure they’ll do that. But it does seem more distant now than it did.
“So much of the narrative of the offseason was that Boo Carter was pushing to be on offense more than Tennessee was pushing for him to be on offense. Not to say that it was 100 percent and 0 percent, but it seemed like Boo Carter was pushing for that more than Tennessee was. And now that he is sort of being penalized for missing workouts and team activities in the summer, he doesn’t really have leverage as much to push for that or to ask for that. So I think if and when he does play offense, it will be Josh Heupel making the decision, and not as much trying to do something that Boo Carter necessarily would be lobbying for. I just don’t think he has much power right now to ask for anything.”
Heupel said it’s day-by-day with Carter right now, so it seems unlikely that any final decisions have been made on whether the sophomore safety will see time on offense.
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