Dan Fleser
At Tennessee’s football media day two weeks ago, Tim Banks foresaw a typical progression for a true freshman like Boo Carter.
“He has shown some maturity,” the Vols defensive coordinator said, “but I think you’ll see more once he gets his feet wet a little bit.”
The timetable has been infused with greater urgency since then. Junior defensive back Jourdan Thomas, a projected starter at the star position in UT’s defense, went down with a season-ending knee injury four days after media day. Thomas’ injury immediately fast-forwarded Carter’s progression. His feet probably are soaked from heels to toes by now as the former Bradley Central standout and redshirt sophomore Christian Harrison take most of the practice reps at the star, a position that combines coverage with blitzing raids into the opponent’s backfield. Banks considers the position to be one of the most challenging in Tennessee’s alignment.
“We know in the back of our minds that we have others who have played the position,” secondary coach Willie Martinez said on Monday. “Whether it’s Will Brooks or Andre Turrentine, we have the versatility. The two guys we are competing are Christian and Boo. They’re doing a really good job.”
Carter was a multi-position standout at Bradley Central, earning the Class 6A Mr. Football award. As a defensive back, he had 102 tackles and two interceptions. He enrolled at Tennessee in January and participated in Citrus Bowl preparation as well as spring practice. Head coach Josh Heupel described the early enrollees collectively as the most mature group of newcomers of his three-plus year tenure.
“That stems from us being intentional, further along in the recruiting process, recruiting to our culture and knowing what we are bringing in,” Heupel said. “I think it also stems from the leadership in our locker room, being able to grab those guys and make sure they understand the standards.”
Carter presumably is benefitting from Thomas’ tutelage. He’s a member of the team’s leadership council. Fellow defensive back Christian Charles described the group in general as beneficial to someone in Carter’s situation.
“We’re very supportive of each other and want to see each other learn and grow,” Charles said. “There’s no animosity in the room. We all just want to see each other be our best.”
So, Carter is not lacking in physical ability. He’s fortunate to be in a nurturing environment. And he's making progress. Before last Friday’s first preseason scrimmage, Heupel said the preceding days were Carter’s best in terms of playing within the defense’s framework while still making plays.
“He’s a young guy that needs to and will continue to get better every day,” Heupel said following the scrimmage. “But he’s a dynamic playmaker.”
He’s playing a position that’s suited for making plays. Therefore, it’s a matter of getting better sooner.
“You have to be really good to be the star,” Martinez said. “That’s the position in our defense, schematically, he’s going to be involved in almost every play. I start off (with) his athleticism, his competitiveness and his love for the game. You can see it both on and off the field. It’s great to have it because he is going to compete on every play.”
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri, who has covered University of Tennessee athletics since 1988. He is a member of the Tennessee Sportswriters and the U.S. Basketball Writers Halls of Fame. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com.