Why two Tennessee freshmen linebackers will play this season
Arion Carter’s recruitment tells the story of what kind of football player the Tennessee football freshman is. Before a committing to and signing with the Vols, the in-state athlete was headed to Memphis as a running back.
”Arion is an explosive kid,” Tennessee linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary said during his press conference after Tuesday morning’s practice. “Super athletic. Was committed to a Division I school as a running back, so you see the athleticism there.”
That’s part of the reason Carter will be in Tennessee’s linebacker rotation when the Vols start the new season against Virginia at a sold-out Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Saturday (Noon Eastern Time, ABC).
‘The poise, the maturity, he’s shown all those things’
After switching from running back to linebacker, Carter’s recruitment took off. The four-star prospect out of Smyrna High School in Smyrna, Tenn., was ranked No. 125 overall in the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the No. 11 linebacker in the 2023 class and the No. 2 overall player in the state of Tennessee.
He picked the home-state Vols over Alabama and Ohio State. And he has looked the part, both on and off the field, since he arrived in Knoxville.
“The poise, the maturity, he’s shown all those things,” Jean-Mary said, “which has put him in line to play early. He’ll play on Saturday, get a chance to go out there and I’m excited to see what he can do in (his) full college football game.”
Tennessee overhauled its linebacker room with the addition Carter and BYU transfer Keenan Pili, another player who turned heads during training camp and will start alongside Aaron Beasley, the senior leader of the defense who returns after leading the team in tackles last season.
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Countdown to Kickoff: Tennessee-Virginia, Saturday, Noon ET, ABC
Carter might not be the only freshman for the Vols getting opportunities at linebacker this season. Jeremiah Telander, the former three-star prospect out of Gainesville, Ga., has impressed Tennessee’s coaches, too.
“Jeremiah is a kid, his dad coached, Steve Telander coached Power 5 football and was a coach for a long time,” Jean-Mary said. “You could see those traits in him, kind of grew up with the game as a youngster. So he has those natural skills where maybe he sees things that other young players don’t.
“And the other thing I’d say about him, he’s aggressive,” Jean-Mary continued. “He’s one of those see ball hit ball guys and he’s going to try to run through a wall, gonna make a tackle and that aggression shows and helps him make plays.
“So we’ve been thrilled with Jeremiah and his ability. He’s one of those kids that we think is gonna have a chance to play for us and help us this year.”
