Tennessee Vols fans heard all offseason about true freshman linebacker Arion Carter and how he has the potential to be a great player at UT. 

Carter, who didn't arrive at Tennessee until after spring practice, is still learning how to play linebacker after mostly playing running back in high school. 

And it sounds like he's conquered the learning curve that comes along with learning a new position (while also getting adjusted to SEC football). 

Carter played 12 snaps in Tennessee's win against South Carolina. And those weren't "garbage time" snaps, either. The Tennessee native was on the field for an extremely important sequence midway through the third quarter when South Carolina had a chance to make it a one score game. 

But instead, the Vols' defense was able to stop South Carolina on fourth down. 

Josh Heupel loved this sequence from Tennessee’s defense. 2nd-and-2 to third-and-1 to a stop on fourth down. Huge moment in the game for the Vols. pic.twitter.com/V0WTWFYYZb

— zach ragan (@zachTNT) October 3, 2023

On Wednesday, Carter spoke to reporters. And he noted that the game is starting to slow down for him. 

"The game feels really good to me right now," said Carter. "It's slowed down a lot, along with getting a lot more reps as a young guy coming in. I've seen the game open up and it's slowed down tremendously." 

Part of the reason things are slowing down for Carter is because he's not thinking while he's on the field as much. Instead, he has a better understanding of his assignment and where he needs to be, which allows him to "fly around". 

"I feel like I was flying around (against South Carolina)," said Carter. "Less thinking, more reacting." 

Carter credited his preparation and extra time in the film room (when he's not busy with school work) for the the jump he's taken in his play since arriving at Tennessee. 

The true freshman linebacker, who wears No. 7 like Tennessee legend Jerod Mayo, is a player that Nick Saban and Alabama badly wanted during the recruiting process. Saban likely saw Carter's athleticism and instincts and recognized a future NFL player. 

Fortunately for the Vols, they were able to keep Carter in-state. And now it looks like that recruiting win could pay major dividends for the Vols as soon as this season. 

For now, Carter is supplying Tennessee with much-needed depth while BYU transfer linebacker Keenan Pili remains out with injury. But it won't be long before Carter forces his way into a bigger role due to his strong play. 

The depth is a nice "problem" to have for the Vols — especially when one of their depth pieces (Carter) looks like he has the potential to be a future SEC superstar. 

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