Former Tennessee Hooper Joins 2nd Team This Season After Refusing To Play For Vols

Tennessee basketball player Cameron Carr

iStockphoto / © Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images


Sophomore guard Cameron Carr surprised college basketball followers with a midseason exit earlier this year. Despite suiting up for the nation’s top-ranked team, he refused to rejoin his squad after rehabbing an injury.

He announced a decision to leave the Tennessee Vols in December. One month later, he’s found a new home.

Carr committed to play for Baylor in the 2025-26 season. He’s reportedly already enrolled for the spring semester. Despite the fact that he’s attending classes at the university, he’s ineligible to see the floor for the Bears as they roll through Big 12 play.

The 6-5 guard has already seen action this year. He appeared in four games with the Vols, scoring 19 points on 63% shooting. Unfortunately, his season was disrupted by a thumb injury suffered in November.

Recovery time for that setback was estimated to be 4-6 weeks. Near the end of his rehabilitation, he shut his campaign down.

Head coach Rick Barnes seemed to think Cameron Carr was finally figuring out how to earn significant minutes in the lineup. Instead, the second-year sharpshooter bailed.

Now, he’ll have to wait a year before seeing the court again. Though he won’t be able to help Baylor in game action this regular season, he can practice with his new squad.

Carr isn’t the first college athlete to remove himself from the roster midseason. On the football field, UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka benched himself after three games in order to preserve his redshirt. His decision stemmed from an NIL dispute with the school.

The transfer portal has made roster management difficult for head coaches. Not only are they tasked with recruiting new prospects, but they’re now forced to re-recruit their current players each and every offseason.

Cameron Carr was logging minutes for the No. 1 team in the country. His role might’ve been expanding following his injury rehab. Still, he decided to leave. It will be interesting to see how his transfer decision plays out.