Tennessee Vols fans almost escaped the summer without any drama.

Almost.

News broke last week that sophomore defensive back Boo Carter, a former four-star recruit who is one of the Vols' most talented players, has missed some team activities this summer. As a result, his spot on the team is in jeopardy.

Carter is expected to be an impact player for Tennessee in all three phases this fall (he's a key defensive back, an electric returner, and he is expected to get a shot on offense, too). He's a player that would be a difference maker for any program in the SEC.

But Vols head coach Josh Heupel said earlier this year that no one is bigger than the Power T — a comment that Tennessee's leadership council took to heart.

And it's that leadership council that will ultimately determine Carter's fate on Rocky Top (if he decides he wants to remain on the team).

Tennessee's leadership council isn't going to just let Carter's summertime behavior get swept in the rug.

"I'm not going to sit here and say I know for a fact that Boo's gone or he's coming back, because I don't [know]," said ESPN's Chris Low on Monday during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone's 3HL. "What I can tell you for a fact is that the leadership council decided among themselves, going into this offseason, that they were not going to stand back and sit on their hands with some of the stuff that happened over the last year or so.

"You know, with Nico (Iamaleava) missing workouts. Nico missed workouts last offseason, which I think was more of a ploy to try to — that's almost akin to sitting out. You had some issues with James Pearce — I think those have been pretty well [documented]. So they just did not want to go through that again. They decided among themselves that they're not going to go through that again. I think that's when they made that pact that they are going to hold guys [accountable]. 'We're going to police ourselves. We don't need the coaches to police the football team. We're going to police it, and we're going to hold guys accountable'. And I think that's where we are right now.”

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We'll see what happens with Carter. Fall practice starts this week for the Vols, which means fans should have clarity on Carter's status soon.

Tennessee is a better team with Carter on the roster. So regardless of what happened over the summer, a bought-in Carter playing in orange on Saturdays this fall is the best outcome of this saga for the Volunteers.

The big positive from this whole ordeal is the incredible player-led leadership that Tennessee fans are getting a behind-the-scenes look at in real time.

The best teams in any sport always have strong player-led leadership. Good coaching is a must to win a championship, but ultimately, everyone on the roster has to be pulling in the same direction and working toward the same goal for a team to truly have a chance to win a championship. Obviously, not every player on a football roster is going to be on the same page as the rest of the team at all times. That's why team leaders holding players accountable is so important.

The outcome of the Boo Carter situation aside, Vols fans should be fired up that Tennessee has elite player-led leadership. That's an incredibly important ingredient to winning a championship. In fact, it's a must.

Remember, Josh Heupel is trying to build something that will last for years on Rocky Top. He's not looking to take a shortcut to a championship — Heupel is trying to build a program that contends for a natty every single year.

The stuff with Carter may seem like a stain on the program, but it's quite the opposite. Elite college football programs are never on cruise control. Tough situations constantly pop up for every program (most never get reported). And Tennessee is dealing with this tough situation just like an elite program should.