Tennessee Vols Stars Boo Carter and Branson McCoy Earn Prestigious Butkus Award Watch List Honors and Receive Praise Across Rocky Top
Tennessee football received a jolt of national recognition this week as sophomore safety Boo Carter and junior linebacker Branson McCoy were both named to the prestigious Butkus Award watch list, an honor reserved for the best linebackers—and in select hybrid roles, defensive playmakers—in all of college football. The dual selections mark a major milestone for the Volunteers’ resurgent defense and signal a changing of the guard in Knoxville, where elite defensive talent is beginning to rival the program’s traditionally high-powered offense.
For Carter and McCoy, the acknowledgment is not just a testament to their individual production, but also a reflection of the faith Tennessee’s coaching staff and fanbase have placed in them as the program builds toward national relevance. Both players were recruited with big expectations, and now, entering a crucial 2025 season, they have the chance to cement their legacies in orange and white.
The Butkus Award, named after legendary Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus, is widely considered the most prestigious honor a linebacker—or hybrid defender—can receive in college football. While it traditionally favors true linebackers, recent changes in voting philosophy have begun to acknowledge the evolving nature of modern defenses, particularly the emergence of versatile defenders who blur the line between safety and linebacker. Carter’s inclusion speaks to that evolution, while McCoy’s nod solidifies him as one of the conference’s most feared traditional linebackers.
For Boo Carter, who came to Tennessee as one of the state’s top recruits in the 2023 class, this moment feels like the natural next step. After flashing playmaking potential as a freshman in 2024 and earning a starting safety role entering 2025, Carter has been lauded for his explosiveness, football IQ, and competitive fire. His ability to cover sideline to sideline, support in run defense, and close on receivers in the open field has already drawn comparisons to former Vol greats and All-SEC legends.
The Butkus committee praised Carter’s “instinctual play, elite athletic traits, and positional versatility,” noting that he plays with the intensity and vision of a linebacker despite lining up primarily in the secondary. Tennessee’s defensive coordinator Tim Banks has echoed that sentiment, calling Carter “the heartbeat of our secondary” and someone who “flies to the football with bad intentions.”
Carter has also become a symbol of the new Tennessee identity—tough, homegrown, and unapologetically aggressive. A Knoxville native who turned down other SEC powers to stay home, Carter’s rise has energized the fanbase. Now, with his name attached to national honors and his role solidified on the back end of the Vols’ defense, he’s set to become one of the most recognizable faces in the SEC.
But while Carter’s star has risen rapidly, Branson McCoy’s journey has been a steadier, more methodical climb.
McCoy arrived in Knoxville in 2022 as a three-star linebacker from Georgia, known more for his work ethic than flash. After spending his freshman year learning the speed of the college game and making special teams contributions, McCoy began to emerge as a reliable starter during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Now entering his junior year, McCoy is considered the emotional and strategic anchor of Tennessee’s defense—a player who rarely leaves the field and is responsible for on-the-fly adjustments, alignments, and pre-snap communication.
He’s not the loudest player on the field, but he might be the smartest. Coaches have described McCoy as “a second defensive coordinator,” citing his ability to diagnose plays and anticipate motion shifts as one of the defense’s greatest strengths. His tackle numbers back that up—McCoy led the team with 102 tackles in 2024, along with 12 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, and a pair of forced fumbles.
Being named to the Butkus watch list validates McCoy’s quiet dominance, and positions him as a candidate to become Tennessee’s first finalist for the award since Jerod Mayo in 2007. While Boo Carter may generate more highlight-reel plays, McCoy’s consistency, leadership, and physicality make him equally indispensable to Tennessee’s defense.
Together, Carter and McCoy represent a one-two punch the Vols haven’t had on defense in over a decade—a high-flying, hard-hitting safety paired with a cerebral, downhill linebacker who can control the middle of the field. Their contrasting styles create a complementary dynamic that Tim Banks and head coach Josh Heupel are counting on as the Vols look to contend in a stacked SEC.
The recognition from the Butkus committee also has broader implications for Tennessee. For years, the Vols were known primarily for explosive offense and high-scoring shootouts. Under Heupel, that reputation intensified thanks to his up-tempo attack and record-setting scoring outputs in 2022 and 2023. But to truly compete for an SEC title—and eventually a spot in the College Football Playoff—Tennessee had to evolve defensively.
These watch list nominations suggest they’re doing just that.
The 2025 Vols return a deeper, more seasoned defense with experience at every level. The defensive line, anchored by veterans Omari Thomas and James Pearce Jr., is expected to generate consistent pressure. The linebacking corps, led by McCoy, has SEC speed and discipline. And the secondary, with Carter as its leader, is versatile enough to match up with both power run games and spread offenses.
But Carter and McCoy are more than just starters—they’re culture-setters. In the offseason, both have taken on increased leadership responsibilities, running team workouts, mentoring younger players, and meeting regularly with the coaching staff to discuss defensive philosophies. Heupel has repeatedly mentioned them in interviews as examples of “what being a Tennessee Volunteer is supposed to look like.”
Their chemistry is also noteworthy. Despite playing different positions and coming from different backgrounds, the two have developed a strong off-field friendship that has translated into better communication on the field. They routinely break down film together, discuss offensive tendencies, and even train together during the offseason. It’s the kind of bond that builds not just strong defenses, but championship-level teams.
The announcement of their Butkus watch list honors was met with thunderous applause across Rocky Top. Fans flooded social media with congratulations, celebrating the national spotlight finally shining on two defenders who’ve earned it through sweat and sacrifice. Tennessee’s official football account shared highlights of Carter’s breakneck pursuit angles and McCoy’s bone-crunching tackles, while former Vols players chimed in to offer praise and encouragement.
For a fanbase hungry to return to the national conversation—not just as a high-scoring spectacle, but as a complete football program—this recognition means more than just individual accolades. It means validation. It means progress. It means Tennessee defense is once again something to be feared.
Of course, watch list honors don’t guarantee success. Both players will need to stay healthy, continue developing, and lead a defense that faces one of the toughest schedules in college football. Road games at Georgia and Alabama, a neutral site showdown with Oklahoma, and an early-season test at Mississippi State will push the Vols to their limit. But with Carter and McCoy at the heart of the defense, Tennessee has the tools—and now the national respect—to survive that gauntlet.
Heupel knows that if his team is going to make a serious run at the SEC crown, it will be because his defense not only complements the offense, but wins games on its own. That’s the expectation now for Carter and McCoy. They’re no longer just talented players—they’re focal points. Every opponent will game plan for them. Every offensive coordinator will scheme to avoid them. Every big play or missed tackle will be scrutinized. And both men welcome that pressure.
As preseason camp ramps up in Knoxville, Carter and McCoy will continue to set the tone—flying to the ball, leading with confidence, and building a defense that can stand toe-to-toe with any in the country. The Butkus watch list may be the beginning of their national spotlight, but it’s far from the end.
For now, Rocky Top celebrates. Two of its own are being recognized among the best defenders in college football. And as the 2025 season looms, Tennessee fans have every reason to believe that these two warriors will carry the orange and white into battle—not just as stars, but as champions in the making.
