What Josh Heupel said about Boo Carter injury claim after Tennessee football dismissal

Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel said he doesn't regret giving Boo Carter a second chance in preseason despite dismissing him from the team with two games remaining in the 2025 season.

“(I am) not regretful. At the end of the day, it's our job as coaches to try to help these guys. That's part of the commitment that you make in the recruiting process and when they decide to come (to UT),” Heupel said at his weekly press conference on Nov. 17.

"Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn't. At the end of the day, we're moving forward."

Heupel also pushed back on Carter's claims that he was off the team because of an injury.

It was the last thing that Heupel wanted to talk about as No. 20 Tennessee (7-3, 3-3 SEC) prepares to play Florida (3-7, 2-5 SEC) on Nov. 22 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) in Gainesville.

But it’s a situation that’s simmered since July, when Heupel essentially suspended Carter rather than dismissing him for skipping offseason workouts. And then it boiled over after Carter’s playing time was cut in recent games.

On Nov. 16, UT dismissed Carter from the team, a school spokesperson confirmed to Knox News. The decision came a day after Carter skipped the Vols’ 42-9 win over New Mexico State.

Also on Nov. 16, a few minutes after the report of Carter's dismissal, Carter said in a post on X that his time at UT ended because of injury: “Unfortunately my season has been cut short due to injury. I have decided to enter the transfer portal and I am excited about the opportunities going forward!”

Carter could not be reached for further comment.

Carter’s mother, Shareca, supported her son’s claim in a social media post. She posted photos of what appears to be a medical report referencing an MRI on Carter’s pelvis on Oct. 19, almost a month before he skipped the New Mexico State game.

Since that medical exam, UT played SEC games against Kentucky (Oct. 25) and Oklahoma (Nov. 1). But Carter did not appear on the SEC availability report during either of those game weeks.

When asked if Carter should've been listed on the SEC availability report before those games, Heupel had a short answer.

"No sir," Heupel said. "Not based on our (athletic) trainers."

Injured or not, Boo Carter can't enter transfer portal until January

Carter’s decision to enter the transfer portal seemed inevitable.

Even after Heupel reinstated Carter to the team in August, there was still uneasiness around his long-term prospects with the Vols. Heupel had to meet with his leadership council of players to discuss Carter’s status before the season began.

But Heupel and the Vols hoped Carter would at least finish the season before he considered the portal, which opens Jan. 2-16.

That makes Carter’s statement particularly peculiar that he left the team due to injury. He has been removed from the roster on UT’s official website.

And, typically, players who suffer injuries and plan to enter the portal still remain with the team until after the season. Nevertheless, Carter’s next college game will come at a school other than Tennessee.

Why did Josh Heupel give Boo Carter a second chance?

This was the latest, and probably last, chapter of Carter’s tumultuous time at Tennessee. The former Mr. Football and four-star recruit from Chattanooga had immense promise.

Last season, Carter earned SEC All-Freshman honors as a defensive back and return specialist. And he was a 2025 preseason All-SEC selection.

But Carter is gone now, and Heupel certainly doesn’t want to talk about him anymore. Heupel could’ve ended this months ago. But he chose to give Carter a second chance.

“There’s standards we all have to meet. When somebody fails in that, whether they get another chance or not, each situation is different,” Heupel said on July 29. “Ultimately, Boo has got to meet those standards here as we move forward.”

In July, Knox News learned that Carter missed numerous offseason team activities, and he was confronted by team leaders because of his absence. Communication between Carter and the team became strained after that, but he ultimately reported for preseason practice.

At that time, Heupel placed Carter on a de facto suspension. He was set apart from the team early in preseason practice and excluded from drills. He lost his starting position on defense, which he never regained. And he also visited patients at East Tennessee Children's Hospital as part of his reinstatement.

But Carter never sat out a game completely due to coach's decision. He played 28 snaps in UT's season-opening 45-26 win over Syracuse, mostly as a backup nickelback. And he eventually regained his spot at punt returner.

For better or worse, Heupel had practical reasons to keep Carter around. The Vols started the season with depth issues in the defensive secondary, beginning when All-America cornerback Jermod McCoy tore his ACL in January. And Carter's electric skills as a punt returner could've impacted a critical game.

But he wasn't much of a factor in either role.

Tennessee focused on matters other than Boo Carter

Carter’s time at Tennessee seemed like a ticking clock. His playing time steadily decreased from 40 defensive snaps against UAB on Sept. 20 to 21 defensive snaps against Kentucky on Oct. 25.

In a 33-27 loss to Oklahoma, Carter did not play on defense. He played only three snaps in the game as UT’s punt returner.

That was Carter’s last game with the Vols.

Before the New Mexico State game on Nov. 15, a UT spokesperson listed Carter among the team’s inactive players. But he wasn’t in attendance on UT’s sideline alongside other inactive and injured players.

After the game, Heupel said Carter was absent because “there’s a standard that you have to meet to be in that locker room.” But Heupel declined to comment on the matter further at that time.

If Heupel has his way, he won’t address Carter again. Instead, he is focused on the Vols finishing the 2025 season in strong fashion and restocking the roster for 2026.

On Nov. 16, before Heupel talked to Carter about his status, UT coaches spent the morning on more pressing matters. They had recruiting meetings in anticipation of the early signing period on Dec. 3-5. And then they reviewed the New Mexico State game film and revised their plan for the Florida game.

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: Boo Carter dismissal: What Josh Heupel said DB exit from Tennessee football