Arion Carter
Tennessee#229 overallDraft Movement
Down 31 spots since Jun 8
Scouting Report
Arion Carter is a productive, high-character off-ball linebacker out of Tennessee who profiles as a mid-to-late-round pick with a projected seventh-round range. A former four-star from Smyrna, Tennessee, Carter was named the state's Class 6A Mr. Football in 2022 as a running back before flipping to defense, and he chose the Vols over Alabama late in a heated recruitment. At 6'1" and 235 pounds he is a downhill, instinctive thumper who led Tennessee in tackles in both 2024 and 2025 and paced the entire SEC at 7.6 tackles per game in 2025, earning second-team All-SEC honors from the league's coaches. His three-down value is built on processing, leadership and tackle production rather than elite length or athletic testing. Carter was also a Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist and a member of the SEC Football Leadership Council, the kind of locker-room voice scouts value on special teams and in a rotational role. The evaluation is complicated by durability: he had season-ending shoulder surgery as a freshman and battled turf toe in both feet over the final two months of 2025, which visibly sapped his mobility and production against Alabama and Oklahoma before he rebounded late. He projects as a backup linebacker and core special-teamer with starter upside if the medicals check out.
Strengths
- Led Tennessee in tackles in back-to-back seasons in 2024 and 2025
- Paced the entire SEC at 7.6 tackles per game in 2025
- Downhill, instinctive run defender who quickly reads and triggers to the ball
- Former running back with the ball skills to log nine career pass breakups and an interception
- Picked off a pass at Florida that sparked a comeback win in 2024
- Respected leader, SEC Leadership Council member and Jason Witten Man of the Year semifinalist
- Three-year starter resume with 31 games and 161 tackles of production
- Tennessee 6A Mr. Football and four-star Top247 recruit who chose the Vols over Alabama
Weaknesses
- Limited length and size at 6'1" and 235 pounds for an every-down NFL linebacker
- Durability is a real concern after season-ending shoulder surgery as a freshman
- Turf toe in both feet slowed him badly over the final two months of 2025
- Production cratered to four tackles vs Alabama and two vs Oklahoma when banged up
- Modest pass-rush impact with just 1.5 career sacks
- No verified combine or athletic testing to confirm the range scouts question
- Profiles closer to a backup and special-teamer than an immediate starter
NFL Comparison
Ty'Ron Hopper (instinctive SEC tackle-machine linebacker, mid-round value); Oren Burks (athletic-enough thumper who carved a special-teams role); Te'Von Coney (productive college tackle leader with size and length questions)
College Stats
2023 (Fr): 8 G, 17 tackles, 1 TFL before season-ending shoulder surgery. 2024: 13 starts, 68 tackles, 6 TFL, 6 PBU, 1 INT. 2025: 76 tackles (10th in SEC), 6 TFL, 1.5 sacks. Career: 31 G, 161 tackles, 13.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 9 PBU.
College Market Value
Our model prices him at $602K on the open college market, built from production, pedigree, role and Tennessee's program money. No credible deal has been reported for him this season.
Portal: entered the 2026 portal from Tennessee.
Every P4 player priced, math public: College players & NIL · Roster spend
Measurables
Awards & Honors
2025 Second-Team All-SEC (coaches); SEC leader in tackles per game (7.6) in 2025; Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year semifinalist; SEC Football Leadership Council; 2022 Tennessee Class 6A Mr. Football; 4-star Top247 recruit