Linebackers Arion Carter, Ben Bolton remain questionable on Tennessee injury report

Tennessee Football on Thursday again listed linebackers Arion Carter and Ben Bolton as questionable on the SEC Injury Report for this weekend’s game at Kentucky. The Vols will update the injury report against on Friday and then 90 minutes before kickoff Saturday.

Freshman receiver Radarious Jackson, who has missed the last four games, was also listed as questionable for the second day in a row.

Carter, the 6-foot-1, 235-pound junior, not only leads Tennessee with 61 tackles this season but also leads the SEC. He has 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, a forced fumble and fumble recovery and two passes broken up. Bolton, a 6-foot-3, 233-pound redshirt junior walk on, has eight tackles in seven games as a reserve linebacker for the Vols. 

No. 17 Tennessee (5-2, 2-2 SEC) and Kentucky (2-4, 0-4) are scheduled for a 7:45 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff (TV: SEC Network) at Kroger Field in Lexington. The Vols are coming off a 37-20 loss at Alabama while the Wildcats have lost three straight.

Tennessee Football Injury Report

Player	Position	Status
Jermod McCoy	CB	Out
Rickey Gibson III	CB	Out
Travis Smith	WR	Out
Arion Carter	LB	Questionable
Ben Bolton	LB	Questionable
Radarious Jackson	WR	Questionable
Ethan Davis	TE	Questionable

Josh Heupel on Joey Aguilar: ‘He’ll be ready to go for Saturday’

Cornerback Jermod McCoy has yet to make his debut this season and has been out since tearing his ACL in January. Rickey Gibson III has been out since getting hurt in Week 1 against Syracuse and Travis Smith was out last two weeks after being added to the injury report late in the week before the Arkansas game.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said Monday that quarterback Joey Aguilar will be ready to go when the Vols face Kentucky. Aguilar appeared to suffer a neck injury in the loss at Alabama.

“Obviously a couple hits that Joey took,” Heupel said during his weekly press conference on Monday. “But he’ll be ready to go for Saturday.”

Aguilar ran left on second-and-4 at the Alabama 4-yard line early in the second quarter. He was tackled by Alabama’s James Smith and Justin Jefferson, with both defenders making contact with his helmet and forcing his neck back awkwardly. 

He didn’t miss any time during the game, but received medical attention on the back of his neck, including time spent in the injury tent with his shoulder pads removed while trainers worked on his neck and back. 

What Josh Heupel said this week about Jermod McCoy

Heupel updated the uncertain timeline for Jermod McCoy before the Arkansas game, with Tennessee’s star cornerback nine months removed from his ACL tear. 

“Jermod continues to do a great job in his rehab with our medical staff, our strength staff,” Heupel said on October 7. “Somebody told me there was a report out there of a certain ball game that he’s focused in on as far as returning.

“I think that’s unfair. Whoever put that out there, I don’t think truly understands Jermod and the situation. He’s done a really good job. He’s got more to go.”