Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter declared for the NFL Draft earlier this week. He will instead return to college and enter the transfer portal.
Carter notified his old head coach Josh Heupel, linebacker coach William Inge and he emailed the athletic director Danny White.
“Just the simple fact of me being able to go and finish my degree I only have a couple credit hours left,” Carter said. “I’ll be the first in my family to graduate college. I just want to go and have a full season healthy. I had been dealing with turf toe in my feet all year and wasn’t able to play to my expectation. Being able to come back and have a full year of training and sharpening my tools and being a better linebacker and setting out to do everything I want to accomplish this next year.”
The early intel favors Carter staying in the SEC.
“I would love to stay in the SEC,” Carter said. “But I’m willing to go anywhere.”
Immediate programs to keep an eye on would include Alabama and Texas A&M. He is not expected to return to Knoxville.
Carter is coming off back-to-back strong years at Tennessee as a key part of the defense. In 2025, he led the program with 76 total tackles, including 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. That came after an impressive 2024 campaign in which he had 68 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and an interception.
Carter posted a statement when he entered the draft that it wasn’t an easy decision.
“Tennessee has truly become home for me, and that’s what has made this decision so difficult,” Carter wrote. “I want to start by thanking my coaches for believing in me, pushing me, and holding me to the highest standard every single day.
“Thank you to the trainers, strength coaches, academic team & support staff that made sure I was completely taken care of on and off the field. … To the University of Tennessee & the Greatest fan base in the country, thank you for the opportunity to be a Vol! The college experience, game day atmosphere and relationships developed will last a lifetime. Playing for the Power T meant everything to me.”
Carter played high school football at Smyrna (TN), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 125 overall player and No. 11-ranked linebacker from the 2023 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.