KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee senior linebacker Arion Carter has been named the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week, Bednarik Player of the Week and the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week after a dominant performance in the Vols’ 34-6 victory over No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday night.
Carter finished with a game-high and season-best 13 tackles, including 10 solo stops, while setting career highs with two sacks and four tackles for loss. His four TFLs resulted in 21 lost yards, highlighted by a critical stop on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter that gave Tennessee possession. He also recorded a key tackle for loss on third-and-7 with the Vols leading 13-7. Tennessee held Kentucky to its lowest point total of the season and kept the Wildcats out of the end zone.
A Butkus Award semifinalist and Campbell Trophy finalist, Carter became the fifth FBS player in the last 11-plus seasons to record at least 13 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks against an AP top-10 opponent. The last to accomplish the feat was Indiana’s T.J. Simmons against Michigan State on Oct. 24, 2015.
The Smyrna, Tennessee, native is Tennessee’s 10th recipient of the Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week award and the second this season, joining Dejuan Lane, who captured the honor following UT’s win over Auburn.
This is also the third time in program history that Tennessee has had two Walter Camp weekly award winners in the same season (Jerod Mayo, Erik Ainge in 2006 and Hendon Hooker, Jalin Hyatt in 2022).
Carter is also the first Vol to be named Bronko Nagurski weekly winner since its inception in 2001.
