Arion Carter showed plenty of promise last season as a Tennessee freshman linebacker.
Volunteers coaches, teammates and fans just hope to see more of him this year.
The 6-foot-1, 234-pounder from the Nashville suburb of Smyrna was a dynamic fresh face for the Vols until their eighth game at Kentucky, when he sustained a shoulder injury. Carter underwent surgery and missed November’s stretch run, when Tennessee lost badly to Missouri and Georgia, as well as the Citrus Bowl victory over Iowa.
“Obviously, it was a bummer,” Carter said last week in a news conference, “but it was a minor setback for a major comeback. I was so grateful for having a great support staff, team and teammates, as well as a great athletic training staff to get me back to where I am now.
“I feel like I am even better than what I was. I feel like I can just go out there, get everybody set, identify formations and go play at this point.”