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Tennessee football thought they were losing one of their top defenders to the 2026 NFL Draft. Arion Carter declared for the draft, but then withdrew and decided to return to Tennessee.
Now, Carter has been suspended for two games by the NCAA, based on the pre-draft process, according to Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
“NCAA has suspended Tennessee star LB Arion Carter two games for $427 flight (which he repaid) during NFL pre-draft process,” Sparks posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Carter will be sitting out their September 5 game against Furman and their September 12 game against Georgia Tech. Head coach Josh Heupel is not happy about the decision made by the NCAA, per a statement given to the Knoxville News Sentinel
“Arion Carter represents everything that is right about college athletics, dedicating all four years of his career to the University of Tennessee. His high character, loyalty and leadership within our program are unmatched,” Heupel said. “We disagree with the NCAA’s ruling on punishing Arion with a multi-game suspension this fall. Arion made the right decision for his future health and well-being. He will proudly graduate from Tennessee in public health with Dean’s List honors in August. Our team stands behind AC and his family, and we can’t wait to be on the field with him during training camp next week.”
Carter had flights paid for by his agent, which is normal in the pre-draft process. Still, he suffered an injury before the draft during a workout and decided to return to school. With that, he parted ways with the agent and returned the cost of the flights. The NCAA previously reminded players that they cannot accept benefits if they plan to keep eligibility.
“You, your family or your friends are not permitted to receive any benefits from an agent,” the NCAA memo said. “Examples of material benefits include money, transportation, dinner, clothes, cell phones, jewelry, etc. Please note that benefits may also include, but are not limited to, activities such as tryout arrangements with a professional team and coordinating tryout schedules.”
Still, Tennessee argued this was a unique situation, as an injury is what resulted in him coming back to school. While Tennessee is likely to continue to fight the penalty, missing Carter for two early-season games should not damage their chances to make a run in the SEC.
Tennessee football thought they were losing one of their top defenders to the 2026 NFL Draft. Arion Carter declared for the draft, but then withdrew and decided to return to Tennessee. Now, Carter has been suspended for two games by the NCAA, based on the pre-draft process, according to Adam Sparks of the Knoxville News Sentinel.
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