OPINION: Boo Carter Is Tennessee Football’s Most Complete and Important Player Ahead of the 2025 Season as Nico Iamaleava Departs

There’s something undeniably electric about watching Boo Carter play football. Every time he steps onto the field, the energy changes. The tempo shifts. Opposing coordinators glance nervously at their call sheets. Fans lean forward just a little more. Because Boo Carter, entering the 2025 season, isn’t just a piece of Tennessee’s football machine—he is its engine. With the departure of quarterback Nico Iamaleava, all eyes naturally turn toward the next man up under center, but in doing so, many are missing the real headline: Boo Carter is the best football player on the Volunteers’ roster heading into the new season.

Tennessee’s 2025 roster is filled with talent. Josh Heupel and his staff have done a remarkable job rebuilding the brand, reshaping the depth chart with athleticism and speed, and keeping the program nationally relevant in the wake of SEC realignment and the ever-changing nature of the transfer portal. But no single player possesses the versatility, physical gifts, football IQ, and game-breaking ability that Boo Carter brings.

He does it all—and he does it all with a quiet confidence that turns heads and wins games.

Carter, who saw action as a freshman in 2023 and broke out in 2024, is that rare athlete who could legitimately start on either side of the ball in the SEC. That’s not just hype or coachspeak. It’s the product of what he’s already done, and what he continues to build. He’s spent time at safety, nickel, and cornerback on defense. He’s lined up as a slot receiver and gadget weapon on offense. He’s returned kicks and punts. At every spot, he’s not just “filled in”—he’s excelled.

In fact, Tennessee’s coaching staff has had to build specialized packages to get Carter involved more, not because of necessity, but because he’s just too talented to be left on the sidelines. His vision, acceleration, and instincts make him lethal with the ball in his hands. His hip fluidity, reaction time, and aggression make him a lockdown defender in man or zone. He’s the embodiment of the modern positionless athlete.

In short, he’s a game-changer—and he may be the most important game-changer on Rocky Top in 2025.

The Volunteers’ 2025 season begins in a curious place. Iamaleava, once the face of the program and one of the highest-rated quarterbacks in school history, is gone. Whether you believed he met expectations or fell short of them, the truth remains: his departure leaves a vacuum. That vacuum won’t be filled overnight, and it won’t be filled by just one name.

That’s why Carter’s presence is more vital than ever.

While fans debate who should be Tennessee’s next starting quarterback—whether it’s a portal addition, an incoming freshman, or a young player like Jake Merklinger—Carter represents continuity. He represents experience. He represents production. And he represents leadership in a locker room that, by all accounts, views him as a rising voice and respected teammate.

Carter doesn’t need to say much. He shows up. He works. And when the lights come on, he performs. Teammates notice. Coaches notice. Scouts notice.

By midseason in 2024, Carter had quietly become the most indispensable player on the roster. Need a third-down stop? Carter’s making the tackle. Need a spark in the return game? Carter’s slicing through coverage. Need to flip the field with a big play? Put Carter in motion and watch the defense panic.

It’s almost laughable how easily he adapts to different roles. One week, he’s shadowing a future NFL receiver and holding him to two catches. The next, he’s taking a jet sweep 50 yards to flip a crucial drive. He’s so adaptable that some fans forget just how good he is at each individual assignment.

And yet, he hasn’t peaked. The 2025 season won’t be his swan song—it’ll be his statement.

This is Boo Carter’s team, even if he won’t say it aloud.

To appreciate Carter’s trajectory, it helps to understand where he came from. A Chattanooga native and former four-star recruit, Carter was the crown jewel of Tennessee’s 2023 defensive class. Early on, some questioned whether he would find a permanent position. Was he a safety? A corner? A running back? The answer, as it turned out, was “yes”—he’s all of them.

Even in high school, Carter carried himself like a seasoned pro. At Brainerd and later Bradley Central, he played both ways and earned statewide acclaim. But what stood out even more than his athleticism was his football intellect. He doesn’t just play fast—he plays smart. He diagnoses plays before they unfold. He takes the right angles. He recognizes tendencies. It’s why he’s always near the football and always making things happen.

At Tennessee, those traits have only sharpened. He’s now stronger, faster, and more nuanced in his approach. He studies tape. He lifts hard. He’s matured into a player who understands the moment and lives for it.

In an age where some athletes chase NIL deals and transfer opportunities the moment adversity hits, Carter has stayed. He’s invested in Tennessee, and Tennessee is investing right back. That stability matters—especially now.

Josh Heupel needs players he can trust to set the tone. With the offense in transition and the defense still seeking consistency, Carter becomes that compass. He brings balance. He brings explosiveness. And more than anything, he brings belief.

It’s not hyperbole to say Carter could be a first-round NFL Draft pick, regardless of the position he ultimately settles into. Scouts love his range. They love his versatility. They love that he’s already done it all in the SEC. At 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, he’s built to take punishment and deliver it. He’s twitchy enough to play man coverage, yet stout enough to fly into the box. And as a returner? He’s electric.

There are flashier players in college football. There are players with bigger brands or louder voices. But when it comes to winning football games—the kind Tennessee needs to win to stay near the top of the SEC—Carter is the guy who tilts the field. He’s the ace card you keep in your back pocket until the moment truly matters. And then you unleash him.

The 2025 schedule won’t do Tennessee any favors. The SEC is as brutal as ever, and crossover matchups add an extra layer of pressure. There are road tests, marquee home games, and national spotlights waiting. But if Carter stays healthy, the Vols will never be out of a game. He gives them that edge.

Don’t be surprised if Tennessee lines him up at receiver more often in 2025. Don’t be surprised if he returns more kicks. Don’t be surprised if, in crucial third-down situations, he’s blitzing from the slot or baiting a quarterback into a bad throw. And most of all, don’t be surprised when the rest of the country realizes what Knoxville already knows: Boo Carter is one of the best players in college football.

Nico Iamaleava’s exit will dominate headlines. The quarterback carousel will spin, and the media will fixate on who takes the first snap in Week 1. But the real heartbeat of Tennessee football won’t be under center. It will be wearing No. 1. On defense, offense, special teams—wherever the Vols need him.

That’s not just a testament to Carter’s talent. It’s a declaration of his value.

Tennessee has had its share of legends. From Reggie White to Eric Berry to Alvin Kamara, there’s a proud tradition of elite playmakers who defined their era. Boo Carter is writing his own chapter in that lineage. And if he continues on this trajectory, he could very well be remembered as the player who carried Tennessee through one of the most pivotal transitions in modern program history.

This isn’t about potential anymore. It’s about reality.

Boo Carter is Tennessee football’s best player. And 2025 is his time to prove it to everyone else.