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Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is fuming over losing one of his linebackers to start the season. After Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter was suspended two games to start 2026 for accepting a prepaid flight to an NFL pre-draft training facility, Heupel slammed the NCAA’s ruling and defended his player. “The ruling that came out from the NCAA, the two-game suspension, I truly believe is bulls–t,” Heupel told reporters at Tennessee’s preseason media day on Tuesday.“You look at the landscape of college football, the rules from NIL and everything, I think the ruling is completely outdated.
[I’m] disappointed for him and for us in the result of that ruling.“AC at the end of last year had to make a choice.He chose to put his name in the NFL Draft process.
In the middle of January, right before the deadline where you have to make a final declaration, he found out he needed a medical procedure that was going to require surgery.He made the right choice for him to come back to college football.
He was upfront and honest.The fact that he paid back the $400 flight, he’s handled everything the right way,” the coach added.Carter initially declared for the NFL draft after playing through a foot injury late in 2025 and accepted a $427 flight from his agent to a pre-draft facility, violating NCAA rules. Heupel said Carter isn’t engaged with the agent anymore, but the linebacker still committed a Level III violation, which the NCAA refers to as a basic breach of conduct. Despite declaring for the draft, Carter aggravated the injury and needed surgery, withdrawing and returning to school. In three seasons with the Volunteers, Carter has racked up 161 tackles, with a career-high 76 in 2025. He also added 1.5 sacks last season. Carter will miss the Volunteers’ first two games against Furman and Georgia Tech before being eligible to return Sept.
19 against Kennesaw State. ...