By Drew Lumpkin
The No. 18 Tennessee Volunteers will see linebacker Arion Carter return this week after a $427 flight kept him from starting against Furman in Week 1.
“Some things you can’t control, and honestly, you have to take everything with a grain of salt,” Carter said.
The senior linebacker found himself in a string of controversial NCAA eligibility rulings earlier this summer. Carter, who declared for the 2025 NFL draft, aggravated a nagging foot injury, leading him back to Rocky Top for the 2026 season.
During the pre-draft process, Carter accepted a flight from his agent totaling $427. Despite disengaging with the agent and reimbursing the flight when he returned to Tennessee, the NCAA cited Carter’s actions as a violation of the strict student-athlete draft protocol and suspended Carter.
Originally penalized with a three-game suspension, a slew of outrage and an appeal by the University of Tennessee led to the suspension being reduced to just the home opener. On Saturday, Carter will play his first game under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles vs. Georgia Tech.
In anticipation of the matchup against Brian Keys’ Yellowjackets, Carter announced that he will donate $427 for every tackle he makes this season to cancer research. This is a philanthropic effort that is close to home. Mariah Bryant, Carter’s girlfriend and an ICU nurse, was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer earlier this year.
“It also goes back to my mom. She has always wanted to create a foundation, a nonprofit for women and little girls,” Carter said on Monday. “With my girlfriend, going through what she’s gone through over these last few months, and me seeing it firsthand, it just really touched my heart and made me have a different perspective.”
Carter has also pledged to donate $500 for a sack, $1,000 for an interception, and $5,000 for a defensive touchdown. If Carter’s previous stats were applied to his current pledge, he would have donated just over $34,000 last season.
Donations will be directed toward Nashville-area charities like Sisters Network Nashville, which raises money to pay medical bills for those battling cancer. The fundraising is also in coordination with Carter’s mother’s nonprofit, Girls in Real Life Situations.
Adding the senior linebacker to the defensive mix will bring a new look that was not seen in the Furman game when the defense totaled five sacks. Former Penn State player Amere Campbell led the defense with Jeremiah Telander playing both linebacker and edge, and Edwin Spilman blitzing effectively.
The new-look Jim Knowles defensive line didn’t completely dominate the trenches; Furman managed 179 rushing yards. A number that could be the difference between a win and a loss when the Volunteers travel to Atlanta.
Known for a hard-hitting running offense, Georgia Tech is coming off a tight defensive game against Colorado. A blocked field goal away from being 1-0, the Yellow Jackets are looking for a bounceback game in a renewed old SEC rivalry. Consistently clashing throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the Volunteers and Yellow Jackets last faced off in 2017. The Vols won that game 42-41 in double overtime and lead the series with 25 wins.
While the Yellow Jackets showed obvious flaws against Colorado, Georgia Tech has responded to disappointing games in the past. In 2024, Georgia Tech lost to Virginia Tech on the road and then beat an undefeated Miami squad at home, helping ruin their season. Brian Keys is not letting his team fall asleep at the wheel two weeks in a row.
While the game will be won and lost in the trenches, Tennessee is getting back one of its most valuable defensive stars. In over 31 defensive starts, Carter has accumulated 161 tackles. Last season, he led the Southeastern Conference in tackles per game with 7.6. Head coach Josh Heupel praised the linebacker who is starting his fourth year with the Vols.
“He is a young guy who came in and was very mature, very focused. He’s grown tremendously as a football player and as a leader. You look at his success off the field, that’s in our community, graduating with honors, and how much of an impact he has inside of our program. He represents everything that’s good about college football. It certainly represents everything, the right way,” Heupel said.
Running out on the field at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Carter will be looking to expand his Volunteer career in notoriety, on and off the field.