During fall camp, Tennessee football suffered an unfortunate injury when defensive back and projected starter at STAR Jourdan Thomas went down with a non-contact, season-ending injury.
Due to the blow, the Vols are now forced to look elsewhere at the position. The battle for the starting job is seemingly down to Christian Harrison and four-star freshman Boo Carter.
While the coaching staff hasn't revealed who the starter will be yet, coaches and players on the roster can't help but sing the praise for the freshman before the season has even begun. Even if he doesn't win the job, Carter has already stood out.
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One of the coaches he's impressed has been defensive backs coach Willie Martinez. The secondary instructor paid compliments to him on Monday after the team's 10th fall practice.
"He’s a really good player," Martinez said. "Guy is so talented. He’s very competitive and he’s very athletic, so he’s versatile. Boo can play a lot of positions. We’re just putting him right in a position where you have to make plays. I mean, you've got to be really good at the STAR, the position in our defense that schematically, he’s gonna be involved almost in every play. Start off by his athleticism, his competitiveness, his love for the game, you can see it both on and off the field and it’s great to have it cause he’s going to compete on every play."
This has extended to head coach Josh Heupel, as well. After Tennessee's intrasquad scrimmage on Friday, Heupel said the practices leading up to the event were the best he had seen from Carter.
Heupel admitted there is still growth that Carter will have to undergo as the season progresses, but for a freshman that is yet to play in a game, he's putting himself in a spot to succeed.
To his teammates, they could tell quickly that he would be able to play a role early in his career. When asking Braylon Staley who's been tough to go up against, he quickly said Carter.
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When asking other defensive backs about his development, they've hurled nothing but compliments, as well.
"That started in the spring," Tennessee safety Christian Charles said. "He obviously showed those flashes of that playmaking ability, getting his hands on the ball. I would say that's the biggest thing. We all know what he did when he was in high school dealing with the ball in his hands. He has that bit of that it factor that makes him different. He has that ability."
Now, Carter is being tasked with building off his start. A big piece of that is on the mental side where he'll look to get more comfortable in the system.
Heupel said he could see that comfort starting to set in and safety Will Brooks agreed. The more Carter is learning, the better he is getting.
"Boo is a great player," Brooks said. "He's extremely talented. He's just learning and the more he learns the better he gets. Literally every single day, he's getting better just cause he's getting more knowledge and learning our defense better. He's a playmaker. He's exciting to watch."
Tennessee's first game is on August 31 against Chattanooga. Against an inferior FCS opponent, the Vols may use it as a bit of a try-out at some positions where battles are ensuing.
This means Carter and Harrison could split reps to see who handles game day better. Tennessee will have to iron things out quickly after, though, with a tough test against a top-25 NC State in Charlotte the following Saturday.
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