DALLAS – Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter was named to the 2025 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award watch list on Tuesday, which is in its ninth season of recognizing the top leaders in college football.
The Witten Award honors the type of exemplary character and commitment to community, family and teammates demonstrated by Jason Witten, the 2012 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year and one of the most prominent role models in the game.
Carter is one of 67 players on this year’s watch list, which is made up of well-respected individuals who have demonstrated a record of leadership by exhibiting exceptional courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field.
Witten was also a standout tight end for the Volunteers during his college career, earning All-America honors from the Sporting News in 2002 before being selected in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft and going on to have a decorated 17-year pro career that included 11 Pro Bowl appearances.
Now in his third season at Tennessee, Carter has emerged as the undisputed leader of the Vols’ defense while also serving on the team’s leadership council and the 2025 SEC Football Leadership Council.
On the field, the Smyrna, Tennessee native, is having an All-America caliber junior campaign, leading the SEC and ranking eighth nationally with 49 total tackles through five games, 15 more than the next closest player in the conference. This comes on the heels of a breakout sophomore season that saw Carter lead UT in tackles with 68 while also racking up 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception and seven pass breakups to help lead the Vols to their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history.
The winner of the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year will also receive a $10,000 contribution in his name to his school’s athletic scholarship fund. The contribution will be made by Jason Witten’s SCORE Foundation, the official charity of Jason and his wife Michelle. The SCORE Foundation, founded in 2007, has positively impacted tens of thousands of children and families in Texas and Tennessee over the last 16 years.
Twenty semifinalists will be announced on Oct. 14 while the three finalists will be named on Monday, Dec. 15. The winner will be announced at the award ceremony at The Star in Frisco, Texas, on April 16, 2026.
More information about the 2025 Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award can be found HERE.
