Arion Carter explains how Tennessee balances offensive speed, defensive strength

Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter joined the latest episode of On3’s Andy and Ari to dish on the Volunteers’ potential moving forward.

Specifically, Carter spoke about how the team balances their speed on offense with their strength on defense. Evidently, the program has deployed an iron sharpens iron technique, and it’s been working out for the Volunteers over the course of the 2024 campaign thus far.

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“I believe that starts in practice, competing every day, day-in, day-out,” Carter explained. “We’re never going to ask the offense to slow down, if anything it’s speed up, or keep that tempo, because that helps us when we go out on Saturdays, whenever we’re going to play a team that’s going fast, fast, break-neck speed like that. So, I feel like it’s just a bigger advantage for us.”

Tennessee’s improvement has certainly been evident throughout 2024. The Volunteers have dismantled their opponents through two weeks, starting with a 69-3 victory over Chattanooga, and followed by a 51-10 win over NC State on the road in Week 2.

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Alas, the type of play Carter is waxing poetic about has some pundits giving Tennessee a clear path to the College Football Playoff, as Paul Finebaum explained following Week 2.

“I mean, when you start hearing Nico is the best quarterback in Tennessee since Peyton (Manning), you get people’s attention,” Finebaum said, via The Matt Barrie Show. “I was surprised at the ease that Tennessee ran through (NC State) last night. And Tennessee was always a dark horse, and now I think … they’re on that playoff line … Everybody’s got an interesting challenge with schedules, but they had, I think, their game against Alabama, it’s going to get overshadowed a little bit this year. 

“That sounds crazy, but it’s the same weekend as Texas-Georgia. Georgia. But it’s a playoff game, I think in many ways, because the loser of that game will have a very difficult time, especially if it’s Tennessee losing at home.”

As long as Tennessee and Arion Carter keep up their level of play, the Volunteers are in good shape. The team has shown no signs of slowing down, so they’ll be a scary opponent for anyone on their schedule moving forward.