Tennessee football fans already expected to see Arion Carter leave Knoxville after he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, but his departure will now sting much more following the latest news. The difference-making linebacker is withdrawing from the prospect pool and will enter the transfer portal instead of turning professional this year, per Steve Wiltfong of On3 and Rivals.
The Volunteers will have to watch him compete at another school after he spent three years donning the orange and white. Considerable roster turnover is commonplace in today's game, but some departures certainly carry more emotional weight than others. Carter recorded 65 solo tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, one and a half sacks, nine pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 31 games with Tennessee.
The Second-Team All-SEC selection helped the program advance to the inaugural College Football Playoff during the 2024-25 campaign, doing his part to give the Vols a new defensively-oriented identity. Josh Heupel's squad could not maintain the same intensity on that side of the ball this past season, however.
Tennessee's defense went from top-tier in 2024 to one of the worst units in the SEC the following year, allowing 28.8 points and 396.9 yards per game. The team subsequently made a change at defensive coordinator, bringing in national champion Jim Knowles to replace Tim Banks. Despite the switch, Arion Carter obviously believes the Volunteers are not the best fit for him in what will be his final collegiate season.
The Smyrna native will seek to boost his NFL Draft profile elsewhere, while Tennessee football tries to get back on its feet following a disappointing 8-5 campaign.
