Tennessee football is home to one of the best athletes in the class of 2024.
The Vols landed Boo Carter who was ranked as the top player from Tennessee, the second-best athlete and the No. 39 player nationally.
Since arriving on campus for bowl prep and competing in spring practice, he's already garnered high praise from his teammates and coaches.
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So far, Carter has begun his career on defense. While he is also practicing as a punt and kick returner, the main goal is to get acclimated as a STAR (nickel back) within the defense.
Due to this positioning, he is often matched up with slot receivers at practice. This includes junior Squirrel White who is one of the fastest and most proven players on the offense.
Following these battles, both Carter and White have paid each other compliments during press conferences. When asked who one of the best defensive backs on the team is, White instantly pointed to the freshman.
"Boo Carter, Boo Carter is special," said White. "He's like a playmaker out there flying to the ball. Rerouting us and stuff like that. Making good tackles. He's been great."
This is putting him in contention to get early play time. Tennessee's secondary didn't use much rotation last season, but with a young group, Carter could find his way onto the field.
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks sees Carter's versatility and has been pleased with what he's seen during the spring.
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"Obviously, Coach (Josh Heupel) was super excited to get him," said Banks. "We knew he was extremely versatile, there's a lot of different things he can do. Right now, he's concentrating on defense and trying to win some playing time, win the job. He's been good so far."
Defensive backs coach Willie Martinez has also been impressed.
What immediately jumped out to Martinez was Carter's athletic ability. While there are still some things he needs to work on before he'll be trusted at the SEC level, you can't ignore what he brings to the table.
"Boo is explosive," said Martinez. "Boo, you put him in any kind of drill and he's going to show up. He is so athletic, he's quick, he's got great instincts. It's just the part of putting it all together in a package. Learning it and being consistent. He has really done some nice jobs over the last couple of practices, it's slowed down for him. You can see it."
Carter is projected to be behind Jourdan Thomas at the STAR position as he begins his career. He did say that he is getting some reps at safety, as well, which is projected to be manned by Andre Turrentine and Jakobe Thomas.
Whether its as a freshman or later in his career, Carter looks like one of the bright young pieces of the Vols' secondary.
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