Boo Carter update: Josh Heupel addresses status for Week 1 vs. Syracuse

In June, Knox News’ Adam Sparks reported that Tennessee defensive back Boo Carter missed multiple team activities and was confronted by team leaders. Carter eventually returned to practice and Volunteers head Josh Heupel confirmed Carter would remain on the team.

While Carter was on the roster, fans remained uncertain how his previous absences would affect his playing time. On Monday, Heupel cleared the air when a reporter asked him if he anticipated Carter to play in Tennessee’s season-opener against Syracuse on Saturday.

“Yeah, anticipate that. For all of us, during the course of this week, it’s still learning, earning and taking the job and proving that you’re ready to,” Heupel said.

Boo Carter had an impressive freshman campaign last season, recording 38 tackles, a sack and an interception. For his efforts, he was named an All-SEC Freshman.

After the season, there were rumors that Carter planned to enter the transfer portal, but the Tennessee native ultimately opted to return to Knoxville for his sophomore season. In his announcement, he mentioned The Volunteer Club — the Tennessee-focused NIL collective — to indicate he’d signed a new NIL deal.

Evidently, experts don’t expect Boo Carter to lose any steam in the 2025 campaign despite some of the offseason drama surrounding him. Carter was named a preseason All-SEC Third-Team selection by the league’s media.

Carter’s lack of attendance this summer isn’t the only personnel issue Tennessee dealt with this offseason. In April, quarterback Nico Iamaleava entered the NCAA Transfer Portal after he and Tennessee couldn’t agree on a new NIL deal. At SEC Media Days, Heupel discussed the importance of being able to remain focused in the face of these issues.

“At the end of the day, it’s never about who’s not in your building,” Heupel said. “It’s about who is in your building. For us, you can lose a quarterback at a lot of different times. December transfer portal, spring transfer portal. You can lose one Week 1, first quarter of a ball game, in your open, and now you’re on to number two through injury.

“You’ve got to have a next guy up mentality. At the end of the day, having the right guys that want to be there, want to compete with their brothers that are inside of that locker room, building that connection, but also having the right guys in there.”

On Saturday, Tennessee will square off against Syracuse at noon ET. The game will air live on ABC.