If the Tennessee coaching staff is feeling any uncertainty about the STAR position, they've done a good job hiding it.

Less than two weeks into fall camp, the Vols lost projected starter Jourdan Thomas to a season-ending injury, causing a change in plans for two players that will now likely play bigger roles at the position.

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Redshirt sophomore Christian Harrison and highly touted freshman newcomer Boo Carter, have headlined the competition for who will take the starting reps in Thomas' absence.

Harrison is entering his third season in the program after playing a limited role as a reserve defensive back over the last two seasons. He split time between corner and special teams in 2022 and appeared in four games last season.

Carter made a quick impression when he arrived on campus for bowl practices in December and stood out in the spring and in fall camp, positioning himself for playing time before Thomas' injury.

"(Harrison and Carter) have done a great job of growing in the fundamentals of playing the position, the communication that takes place there with the guys beside them, back behind them, making plays," Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. "Really excited about what both of those guys have done on the practice field up until this point, and both of those guys will play a lot of ball."

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Josh Heupel talks end of fall camp, transition to game prep

Tennessee's secondary remains the biggest question mark heading into the 2024 season, though there is some optimism that it will continue to improve. The Vols lost eight contributors in the offseason and will feature new full-time starters at both corner spots, safety and now STAR.

At corner, Rickey Gibson III is one of three defensive backs that worked his way into a starting role late last season and is in line to hold down the position opposite Oregon State transfer Jermod McCoy.

Andre Turrentine started the last three games of the season at safety and the former Ohio State transfer is set up for his most significant role in his third season at Tennessee while Jakobe Thomas, who transferred from Middle Tennessee State in December, brings experience to the other safety spot.

There's some depth, too.

Will Brooks, Christian Charles and John Slaughter all bring playing experience at multiple positions and will feature in rotations.

"I feel really good about where we're at with that group," Heupel said. "Not just the first guy you might see on Saturday, but the guy that's going to come in and play a lot of football behind him too. They've had a really good camp. They've continued to get better, so I have really good trust in those guys."

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Jayson Jenkins’ ‘ultimate grit’ helping grow role on Vols’ defensive line

Tennessee is still more than a week away from releasing a depth chart, but a picture of what the Vols' defense will look like against Chattanooga on Aug. 31 (12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network) is likely becoming clearer to the coaches as they transition from fall camp to game preparation.

"I think during the course of training camp, individual growth, fundamentals, technique, alignment, assignment—you have seen steady growth," Heupel said. "None of that is going to be monumental in one day. It's continuing to take the right steps every single day. This group plays extremely hard. They compete extremely hard, they are really consistent in that. Been really physical, so I like that part of our football team right now.

"As you get into the season, I think everybody grasping their role, working and competing for the role that they want.

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