Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter will play one more season for the Vols after withdrawing from the 2026 NFL Draft and the transfer portal.
He announced his decision on social media on Jan. 18 with the simple post: “I’m back home! #VFL”
It ends a head-turning series of events for Carter.
On Dec. 12, Carter announced that he was opting out of the Music City Bowl and declaring for the NFL draft. On Jan. 16, he withdrew from the draft and entered the transfer portal. But after re-considering, he has decided to return to Tennessee for his final season of eligibility.
I’M BACK HOME!#VFLpic.twitter.com/KV0GvMwl6f
— Arion carter (@ArionCarter) January 19, 2026
Carter, a native of Smyrna, Tennessee, has played three seasons for the Vols, including 31 games and 22 starts. He served as a team captain and earned All-SEC honors in 2025.
In the 2025 season, Carter played 10 games with nine starts while dealing with foot injuries. He had 76 tackles, six tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Carter missed part of his 2023 freshman season due to a shoulder injury. But he bounced back with a breakout season in 2024 on a top-10 defense.
Shortly before Carter’s initial decision to enter the draft, Tennessee fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks and ultimately replaced him with Jim Knowles. But Carter’s linebackers coach, William Inge, remains on the staff.
UT added Penn State transfer Amare Campbell to the linebacking corps from the portal. Edwin Spillman, Jeremiah Telander, Jadon Perlotte, Jaedon Harmon and Jordan Burns also return at linebacker.
Carter’s comeback is icing on the cake for a Vols linebacking corps that touts plenty of talent and experience.
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: Arion Carter returns to Tennessee football after withdrawing from NFL draft, portal
