Tennessee commit Arion Carter named Gatorade State Player of the Year

Smyrna (Tenn.) four-star linebacker and Tennessee commit Arion Carter was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year for the state.

A two-way star for Smyrna High, Carter totaled 1,184 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns while also finishing with 92 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles.

Carter is the No. 188 overall recruit in the 2023 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $37k. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.

Arion Carter Scouting Summary

Violent linebacker who plays with his hair on fire with every snap. Explodes on contact, possesses true stopping power. Strong track and field profile. Jumped 6-foot in the high jump, 19-foot-5 in the long jump and ran 41.25 in the 300m intermediate hurdles during his junior track and field season. Also a starter for his high school basketball team. Terrific ability to diagnose and trigger downfield. Shows excellent field vision and awareness when dropping into zone coverage or spying the quarterback. Two-way player who flashes change of direction and long speed at the running back position as well. Lacks ideal length for the inside linebacker position but athletic traits shine. Immediate role player at the next level who will step in and make an instant impact. Height and length will cap his ceiling but has every opportunity to become a top 150 NFL draft prospect.