Tennessee football safety Boo Carter preparing for big freshman season

Tennessee football has a revamped defensive secondary coming into the 2024 season, and one of the key players in the middle of the new-look secondary is true freshman Boo Carter. 

The hype building around Carter's anticipated debut comes with being named a preseason true Freshman All-American by On3 Sports. 

"Simply put, Boo Carter is a baller," On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power wrote. "He is an outstanding football player and one who plays with just an aggressive mentality and has a penchant for making plays. He is a versatile defensive back who appears to be set to see significant snaps and perhaps a starting role in Tennessee's defense this fall. 

"He is capable of covering slide receivers, running backs, tight ends and is just an aggressive ball-hawking type of presence in the secondary. Boo Carter was a do-it-all player at the high school level and one who, I think, with continued focus on the defensive side of the ball, has a lot of potential and looks to have parlayed a very strong senior season into a great start in Knoxville."

The recognition doesn't stop with On3's preseason Freshman All-American list. Fans, coaches, and the media have all taken notice of Carter's playmaking ability, with head coach Josh Heupel saying he was playing at his best earlier this month.

"Boo has played really well," Heupel said earlier this month. "I thought the last couple days, even leading into the scrimmage, have been his best day just within the scope of what we do defensively, playing within the framework of that and making plays at the same time. He's a young guy that needs to and will continue to get better every day, but he's a dynamic playmaker."

He was a walking highlight reel in his senior season last year, and some of that has carried over to his time on Rocky Top. While he hasn't been in Tennessee Orange for long, he's already made some plays in practice that have raised the eyebrows of coaches and fans.

The Vols' freshman defensive back could be a part of Tennessee's special teams return game depending on his role in the secondary early in the season, giving the Vols another athletic, dynamic player at returner. 

Boo doesn't look like your average freshman defensive back, and it doesn't seem like he's playing like one either, based on reports coming out of Fall camp so far. He will make his debut with the Vols on August 31, when the Vols' season kicks off against Chattanooga.