Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel is working hard to get a key player to reverse his transfer decision
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel is trying to keep a key player in Knoxville.
Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel is hoping to keep a key player on Rocky Top.
News broke on Friday evening that Vols linebacker Arion Carter is withdrawing from the 2026 NFL Draft.
Carter, who has one season of eligibility remaining, declared for the draft in December, but he pulled his name out on Friday and subsequently entered the NCAA transfer portal.
The Tennessee native totaled 76 tackles in 2025, which was third on the team. Carter played in 10 of the Vols’ 13 games.
Josh Heupel is trying to keep Arion Carter at Tennessee
On3’s Steve Wiltfong reported on Saturday afternoon that Tennessee is “back in the picture” with Carter.
“Heupel has had ‘several conversations’ with Carter and has also talked with his parents Saturday, a source with knowledge tells On3,” noted Wiltfong. “Tennessee is now ‘up first’ before Carter explores other potential options.”
Tennessee added Penn State transfer linebacker Amare Campbell to the roster earlier this month. Campbell played under new Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles at Penn State in 2025.
Despite landing Campbell, the Vols could still use Carter next season. The former four-star recruit is a dynamic linebacker with clear NFL talent. Carter, who was one of Tennessee’s three player representatives at SEC Media Days last summer, has also served as a key team leader for the Vols in recent years.
If Tennessee can’t close the deal, the Ole Miss Rebels are expected to show serious interest in Carter.
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