Tennessee assistant coach makes strong statement about key player that should get Vols fans very excited

Tennessee Vols linebackers coach William Inge made a comment about a UT sophomore on Saturday that is sure to get fans on Rocky Top excited.

Inge, who was hired earlier this offseason to replace Brian Jean-Mary as Tennessee's linebackers coach, told reporters on Saturday that Vols sophomore linebacker Arion Carter is going to be one of the "elite linebackers".

Carter was limited in spring practice after undergoing shoulder surgery last fall. But he's been a full-go during fall camp and it sounds like he's going to make a big impact for Tennessee in 2024.

"In the spring you couldn’t see the elements of contact because he was limited," said Inge. "There were some times in the spring I didn’t know that there was a problem -- seeing him move and do things like that. He just couldn’t have any contact. So I knew from the element of him being able to move, him being able to run, him being able to change the direction, we were going to get something that was going to be elite or on the top end of everything, from a linebacker play standpoint. Now you put together some of the physicality, him being able to make the plays at the point of attack from a contact standpoint, you can see he’s going to be one of the elite linebackers that you all will be talking about in the days to come and years to come .”

Carter's instincts and natural football abilities were evident last season. Despite the fact that Carter was learning a new position (most of his high school experience was as a running back), it was still obvious he belonged on the field in the SEC as a raw true freshman.

Inge told reporters on Saturday that Carter was "youthful" last season and might not have understood all of the defensive concepts just yet.

"I think last year as a freshman, he was very youthful," said Inge. "He was trying to put things together but sometimes may not have understood the whole concept of something. And I think that’s kind of what my mission was coming in, was to show him not just his job, but what the people around him were doing. And I think that that’s something that he’s kind of really been intentional about. Him learning, knowing what the guys around him are doing has really helped him understand his job on those given plays."

Carter said on Saturday that he feels more comfortable on the field entering his second season at Tennessee.

"I feel like I can just go out there, get everybody set, ID formations, play recognition and go play at this point," said Carter.

Now that Carter understands the position better, it wouldn't be a surprise if he Tennessee's next breakout defensive superstar.

Remember, Carter is a player that Nick Saban badly wanted at Alabama during the 2023 recruiting cycle. It's obvious that the Hall of Fame coach knew that Carter was poised to be a future star in the SEC.

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