Willie Martinez on Tennessee's Boo Carter: 'He's a really good player. Guy is so talented.'
Willie Martinez got right to the point Monday afternoon. When Tennessee Football’s defensive backs coach was asked what has freshman Boo Carter in line for significant playing time this season, he kept the explanation simple.
“He’s a really good player,” Martinez said during his press conference following Monday’s practice. “Guy is so talented. I mean, really.”
He’s getting plenty of opportunity to show it. After junior Jourdan Thomas last week was lost to a season-ending knee injury, it has been Carter and redshirt sophomore Christian Harrison getting “the bulk of the reps” at the Star position in the Tennessee secondary according to Martinez.
“They’re doing a really good job,” Martinez said while also mentioning Will Brooks and Andre Turrentine as players that give the Vols positional versatility in the backend.
Harrison and Carter were the two names head coach Josh Heupel mentioned when asked about the Star position after Friday night’s scrimmage at Neyland Stadium, the first of fall camp.
“Boo has played really well,” Heupel said afterward. “I thought the last couple days even leading into the scrimmage have been his best day just within the scope of what we do defensively, playing within the framework of that and making plays at the same time.
“He’s a young guy that needs to and will continue to get better every day, but he’s a dynamic playmaker.”
Season Opener: No. 15 Tennessee vs. Chattanooga, August 31, 12:45 p.m. ET, SEC Network
Carter committed to Tennessee in June 2023 out of Bradley Central High School in Chattanooga, where he was a four-star athlete who was ranked No. 111 overall in the 2024 recruiting class. He was the No. 3 athlete in the country and the No. 3 overall prospect in the state of Tennessee.
He has been turning heads since he arrived at Tennessee.
“(He’s) a special player, really athletic,” Cooper Mays said in July during Tennessee’s run through SEC Media Days. “ … I’m not sure how we’ll use him, but you’ve got to find ways to use somebody like that.”
“(It’s) just the way he moves,” Tennessee linebacker Keenan Pili said. “He moves really well and makes some plays … the sky’s the limit for him as he goes on throughout his career.”
“He’s a great athlete,” Omari Thomas said. “He’s going to make a bunch of plays for us.”
‘He’s going to compete on every play’
Carter is listed at 5-foot-11, 195 pounds on Tennessee’s roster and has been working with defensive back since enrolling early in January. The Star position for the Vols is the nickel back, a position that could be filled by either a safety or a corner.
Right now, Carter is making the most of his opportunity there alongside Harrison.
“He’s very competitive and he’s very athletic, he’s versatile,” Martinez said. “Boo can play a lot of positions. We’re just putting him right in a position where you have to make plays. You’ve got to be really good at the Star, the position in our defense that schematically, he’s going be involved almost in every play.
“Start off with his athleticism, his competitiveness, his love for the game. You can see it both on and off the field and it’s great to have it because he’s going to compete on every play.”
