Boo Carter, the talented but problematic former Tennessee playmaker, committed to Colorado out of the transfer portal.
He joins Deion Sanders, who restarted some players’ careers and let other good players leave to accomplish that elsewhere. Remember, Colton Hood was a backup cornerback at Colorado, but he became an All-SEC performer and projected early round draft pick at Tennessee.
Carter needs a reboot with the Buffalos following his dismissal from the UT team in November. He has talent, but he did little with it in his final season with the Vols.
In 2025, Carter played nine games as a backup nickelback and primary punt returner. He had 25 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, along with three forced fumbles. He also has 11 punt returns for 145 yards.
In 2024, Carter earned SEC All-Freshman honors as a defensive back and return specialist, and he was a 2025 preseason All-SEC selection. Carter was a four-star recruit and 2023 Class 6A Mr. Football at Bradley Central.
How Boo Carter went from Tennessee rising star to dismissed player
From Tennessee’s perspective, the last straw was Carter skipping UT’s homecoming game on Nov. 15, which the Vols won 42-9 over New Mexico State. He initially was listed as inactive along with eight other UT players who had suffered injuries. However, those players were on the sideline during the game but Carter was not.
After the game, coach Josh Heupel said Carter was absent because “there’s a standard that you have to meet to be in that locker room.” But Heupel declined to comment on the matter further.
On social media, Carter wrote he was injured and entering the transfer portal.
“I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the University of Tennessee Coaches, administrators and fans for a wonderful 2 years,” Carter wrote. “Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal and I am excited about the opportunities going forward.”
Carter’s departure wasn’t a surprise.
In July, Knox News learned that Carter missed numerous offseason team activities, and he was confronted by team leaders because of his absence. Communication between Carter and the team became strained after that, but he ultimately reported for preseason practice.
At that time, Heupel allowed Carter to remain on the team as long as he met certain conditions that were not made public. What followed was a de facto suspension, although Heupel did not identify his status in that way.
Carter eventually rejoined the team and returned to the rotation in the defensive secondary. But he never regained the starting position he had earned as a freshman standout.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Boo Carter transfers to Colorado after Tennessee football dismissal
