Tennessee updates the status of LB Arion Carter on pregame injury report

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tennessee Football listed linebacker Arion Carter as a game-time decision on the pregame injury report Saturday ahead of the road game against Kentucky, but sources have indicated to Volquest that Carter is not expected to play.

The 17th-ranked Vols (5-2, 2-2 SEC) and Wildcats (2-4, 0-4) are scheduled for a 7:45 p.m. Eastern Time kickoff (TV: SEC Network) at Kroger Field.

Linebacker Ben Bolton was ruled out on Friday night’s update while freshman receiver Radarious Jackson and redshirt sophomore tight end Ethan Davis were removed from the injury report.

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. 

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 Football Injury Report

Player	Position	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Jermod McCoy	CB	Out	Out	Out	Out
Rickey Gibson III	CB	Out	Out	Out	Out
Travis Smith	WR	Out	Out	Out	Out
Ben Bolton	LB	Questionable	Questionable	Out	G
Arion Carter	LB	Questionable	Questionable	Questionable	Game-Time Decision

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

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.”