Josh Heupel updates status of Tennessee’s Boo Carter for the Syracuse game

Josh Heupel does “anticipate” Boo Carterwill play for Tennessee Football in the season opener against Syracuse on Saturday afternoon in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

“Yeah, anticipate that,” Heupel said during his press conference Monday afternoon when asked if Carter would play against Syracuse.

“For all of us during the course of this week, still learning, earning, taking a job and proving that you’re ready to.”

The Vols and the Orange open the new season with a Noon Eastern Time start Saturday on ABC.

Carter spent most of Tennessee’s fall camp working his way back onto the team after missing team activities in July. Heupel said last week that Carter had “continued to grow in what he’s doing on the field.”

“Boo has continued to grow on the things that we’re asking him to do,” Heupel said, “to be a great teammate inside of this building every single day.

“Know the charge for him, but for all of us, is to continue to do that. And Boo has continued to grow in what he’s doing on the field. So, I’m excited and pleased with a lot of things that we see from him.”

‘Our leadership council has been a part of those things, those discussions with me and with Boo’

Heupel first addressed Carter’s status at the start of fall camp, before the sophomore defensive back slowly worked his way back onto the practice field with the Vols.

“When we started training camp and I talked to you guys,” Heupel said after Tennessee’s first scrimmage of fall camp, “there were steps that he had to take to continue to earn his place in the scope of what we’re doing as a football team.

“He has taken those steps. He’s continued to grow. I like what he’s been able to do here, in particular the last four days. What’s going to transpire, it’s a day-to-day. We’re taking it day-to-day at this point, I guess is the best way to say.”

Carter returned to the practice field with his teammates on August 5, doing on-field work with the Vols for the first time in an open practice during fall camp. He addressed the team before the start of fall camp, then spent two afternoons visiting Children’s Hospital in Knoxville.

“Boo is a part of our team here,” Heupel said during his media day press conference before camp. “There’s some things that he’s got to accomplish to get back on the field with us. Don’t have a set timeline on that. 

“Our leadership council has been a part of those things, those discussions with me and with Boo. I’m proud of what they’ve done. They care and love Boo and want him to be his best too.”

Josh Heupel ‘disappointed with how some things were handled’

Heupel did confirm before Tennessee started training camp that he had been in contact with Carter over the previous week and that attending offseason workouts is required for Tennessee players. 

“At the end of the day,” he said, “it’s a requirement to be here, be a part of what we’re doing. And there’s a lot of information out of there, out in the world. Some of it is correct, some of it is not. I’m not going to address everything over the last week. 

“Disappointed with how some things were handled. At the end of the day, we have conversations, what does it look like moving forward? And that’s all parts, our leadership council, Boo and our staff. So it’s not about what yesterday was, it’s about today. And we’ll see as we continue to progress where that leads us.”