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The Tennessee Volunteers are running into a rumored headache with the 2025 college football season approaching. A star player has reportedly been “unplugged” after securing a major NIL bag.
Speculation about Boo Carter’s future with the Vols is swirling. Has control been lost?
Carter signed as a four-star recruit in the class of 2024. He landed a major NIL package in the process. As a freshman, he played in 13 games, recording 38 tackles and an interception from his safety spot.
Carter also led the SEC in punt return average while earning All-Freshman Team honors. He was expected to be a notable contributor again in 2025. Now, there’s some uncertainty.
Boo Carter is not plugged in.
Rumors surrounding his status with the team have surfaced on social media. Tennessee insider Tony Basilio attempted to clarify the situation with an update.
“They’re having some issues with him,” Basilio said. “I do think that’s real, and I don’t at this point in time think it’s a slam dunk that he’s playing here this year…
“Tennessee paid [Carter] a lot of money to keep him here, and quite frankly, he has not been plugged in this summer… The picture that’s painted is one where he’s missed some workouts, he’s come late to some team stuff, and you have to understand something about Tennessee’s current situation and their current setup… Josh Heupel wants to guard his culture.”
Tennessee football has dealt with this before…
The culture Basilio pointed to has been challenged in the past.
Nico Iamaleava bailed on the program amid rumored NIL demands in the offseason. The quarterback’s father was said to have hit Heupel with an ultimatum.
Iamaleava refused to continue practicing as a result. When demands weren’t met, the passer transferred to UCLA.
He wasn’t, however, the first example mentioned by Basilio. James Pierce, who was recently drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, was also a problem in the locker room.
“James Pierce drove [Heupel] crazy last year. He drove everyone crazy.”
-Tony Basilio
Character issues surfaced ahead of his NFL Draft selection, but they weren’t enough to push him to Day 2.
College football is out of control.
The Tennessee locker room is the perfect example. It’s not new for coaches to have to deal with issues surrounding highly rated players. In many cases, the talent exceeds the headache.
But now, with the introduction of NIL and the transfer portal, these situations can be magnified.
Coaches that look to make a point or, in Heupel’s case with Nico Iamaleava refuse to be held hostage, risk losing star players altogether.
If a player is unhappy, he can simply enter his name into the portal, listen to NIL offers from rival suitors, and pack his bags. No one is saying that’s what will happen with Boo Carter – yet.
To this point, he remains on the Tennessee football roster. He is fully expected to be on the field when the Vols kick off against Syracuse in Week 1. The coaching staff has led us to believe no different.
Still, with the season just a month out, this is a distraction that no one intended on dealing with. And as Basilio reports, the chances of Carter playing this year in Knoxville are not 100%.
Fans would lose their minds if the team lost another top player.