Optimism continues to grow that recent addition to Tennessee Vols’ offense won’t just be a ‘gimmick’ in 2025
The Tennessee Vols made a big addition to their offense this offseason that involved a player already on the roster.
Sophomore defensive back Boo Carter is set to see time on offense for the Vols in 2025. The bulk of the former four-star recruit’s playing time will still come on the defensive side of the ball, but Carter will have a role on offense, too.
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, there were rumblings that Carter was considering entering the NCAA transfer portal. Part of the reason that Carter never seriously entertained entering the portal, though, is because Tennessee signaled that he would get some playing time at wide receiver.
Some fans immediately wondered if the Vols made Carter a promise just so he wouldn’t transfer from Tennessee. Other fans speculated that Carter might just be used for a few gimmicky trick plays.
Based on what we’ve heard so far this spring, it sounds like Carter’s role in Tennessee’s offense won’t be “gimmicky” at all.
The Chattanooga native is putting in the work on both sides of the ball as he’s determined to be a two-way impact player.
“When you do that (play both ways), there’s a whole nother workload that you gotta take on,” said Vols head coach Josh Heupel after Tennessee’s scrimmage on Monday. “Because you’ve got to understand what’s going on on both sides of the football. He’s done a really good job. He’s spent a lot extra time in here, learning what we’re doing offensively [and] being able to handle the structure of the offense.
“We’re intentional in what positions we’re putting him in during the course of practice, today during the scrimmage, and trying to manage that side of it. He’s worked hard. You can look at him as a punt returner to see the skill set, when he has the ball in his hands, that he’s got a chance to be a dynamic playmaker.”
Heupel’s comments line up with what we heard from VolQuest’s Austin Price before the start of spring practice.
Tennessee obviously needs him in the defensive secondary, and so that part will remain very, very important,” said Price during an appearance on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon, Kayla, and Will in February. “But you know, Boo is going to get a shot — especially starting this spring, to prove he can be an asset on offense. And if you know anything about Boo Carter, you know that when he sets his mind to something, there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to accomplish it. So he’s locked in on that offensive part the spring. And I’ll be shocked if we’re not hearing really good returns as we exit spring.”
Late last month, Carter posted a photo of himself at Tennessee’s practice facility at 6:14 AM on a Saturday morning, which certainly shows that he’s putting in extra work.
