Boo Carter isn’t just making noise in Knoxville—he’s making a statement. And if you’ve been paying attention to Tennessee football heading into the 2025 season, it’s clear: Boo Carter is the best player on the Volunteers’ roster. Not the most hyped, not the most talked-about in press conferences, not the most marketable. Simply the best.
For a team that has recently seen waves of talent filter in and out of the program, from five-star quarterbacks to high-octane receivers, it’s Carter—the 5-foot-11, 200-pound defensive back turned all-around playmaker—who’s risen above it all. That’s no knock on guys like Nico Iamaleava, whose ceiling remains sky-high, or James Pearce Jr., who wreaked havoc in 2024 and flirted with early NFL Draft buzz. But Carter is different. He’s dynamic in every phase of the game and, more importantly, indispensable.
What makes Carter stand out in such a talented locker room is not just his ability to play multiple positions, but his uncanny instinct and feel for the game. In 2024, he emerged as a spark plug for Tennessee’s defense, providing much-needed grit and swagger in a secondary that struggled at times to keep pace with the SEC’s elite offenses. Whether it was lining up as a nickel corner, shadowing slot receivers, dropping deep into coverage, or blitzing off the edge, Carter did it all—and did it well.
But 2025 is shaping up to be his true breakout year. He’s no longer just a promising freshman or an exciting rotational piece. He’s the leader now, both in production and presence. Inside the locker room, teammates rave about his preparation, his intensity, and his refusal to let anyone coast. Outside of it, fans have started to see what kind of lightning-in-a-bottle player he is—someone who can flip the momentum of a game with a single play.
And then there’s his work on special teams, where Carter often operates like a video game character. Few players in college football, let alone on the Tennessee roster, possess his ability to read a return before it unfolds, pick his crease, and explode through it with calculated chaos. He’s got the kind of open-field vision that can’t be taught. The Vols have had their share of electric return men over the years, but Carter might be the most dangerous since the golden days of the early 2000s.
While some may argue that a defensive back can’t be “the best” player on a team, that outdated thinking doesn’t hold up in Carter’s case. He affects every game he plays, and not just from a traditional stat-sheet standpoint. Yes, he racks up tackles, passes defended, and the occasional interception, but his impact is deeper. Offensive coordinators have to account for him. Quarterbacks hesitate when they see him lurking. Slot receivers know it’s going to be a long day when No. 1 is lined up across from them. His presence alone alters play calls. That’s dominance.
Contrast that with the growing but still uncertain trajectory of Nico Iamaleava. The former five-star quarterback from California is undeniably talented—he throws a beautiful deep ball, has great mobility, and brings a natural flair that energizes the fanbase. In many ways, Iamaleava is the face of the program. He’s a national name, a player with an NIL portfolio stacked higher than most SEC recruiting boards. But to this point, he hasn’t fully put it all together.
That’s not to say Nico can’t or won’t become great. He still has time. But in terms of consistency, leadership, and game-breaking plays, Carter has already proven more. While Iamaleava shuffled in and out of games last season, looking promising at times and overwhelmed at others, Carter was the rock. The defense leaned on him in crucial moments. And he delivered.
Part of the challenge for Iamaleava has been the shifting ecosystem around him. Offensive line injuries, coordinator transitions, and the pressure of being “the guy” since high school have all added up. Sometimes, he plays tight, trying to force throws into windows that aren’t there or holding onto the ball too long while looking for the highlight-reel moment. That’ll improve with experience. But right now, he’s still trying to find the rhythm Carter already has.
The eye test doesn’t lie. Watch a Tennessee practice, and you’ll see Carter jawing, directing, lifting energy with every snap. You’ll see coaches nod when he speaks in the huddle. He’s become the emotional and tactical core of the team. Nico may still be finding his footing. Carter is already standing on solid ground.
And while quarterbacks almost always garner the most media attention, it’s players like Carter who turn programs around. They show up in October when the grind of SEC play sets in. They make the stops on 3rd and 5 in Baton Rouge. They’re the difference-makers in rivalry games when margins are razor-thin and momentum matters more than scheme.
One could argue that Pearce, who headlines the defensive front, or Bru McCoy, if fully healthy, could challenge Carter for the title of “best player.” But Pearce, for all his pass-rushing brilliance, is a bit more one-dimensional. He’s a chaos agent off the edge, but he doesn’t affect the backend or cover up mistakes in the way Carter does. McCoy, meanwhile, has the frame and skillset to be elite, but his availability has been sporadic, and he doesn’t bring the same week-to-week reliability.
What Carter has done, in a short amount of time, is build a resume of trust. Coaches trust him. Teammates trust him. The crowd rises when he touches the ball. Even the opposition has started to recognize that Tennessee’s No. 1 isn’t just fast—he’s different.
His football IQ is through the roof. He anticipates routes before they unfold. He knows when to take a risk and when to play conservative. And perhaps most impressive, he’s not afraid to shoulder the pressure that comes with being “the guy.” He embraces it.
With 2025 on the horizon, Tennessee’s schedule offers plenty of opportunities for Carter to prove, on a national scale, what Knoxville already knows. Matchups against the likes of Georgia, Alabama, and Texas will put him under the spotlight, but if last year was any indication, that’s exactly where he thrives. In big moments, he elevates. He doesn’t shrink.
Meanwhile, Nico will have his own journey to navigate. He still has a chance to become a star in his own right, and the Vols certainly need him to if they’re going to compete for the SEC crown. But he’s not there yet—not in the way Carter already is. There’s still some shuffling going on at quarterback. Some uncertainty. Some growing pains.
Carter? No such ambiguity. He’s the surest bet Tennessee has. The heart, the engine, the hammer and the scalpel.
As fall approaches, expectations for Tennessee are as high as they’ve been since the early Heupel days, when Hendon Hooker was lighting up scoreboards and the Vols were threatening to return to national relevance. If that return is to become real, it won’t hinge solely on quarterback play. It will depend on tone-setters like Boo Carter. On players who can change games not just with a big play, but with a consistent standard of excellence.
So, call it bold if you want. Call it premature. But if you’ve watched Tennessee football closely, you know the truth already: Boo Carter is the best player on this team.
And he’s just getting started.
