Tennessee LB coach on Arion Carter suspension: 'Punishment doesn't fit the crime'

Tennessee football linebackers coach William Inge said the “punishment doesn't fit the crime” in regards to the NCAA suspending All-SEC linebacker Arion Carter for two games.

Carter returned to UT after his agent paid for a $427 flight to an NFL pre-draft training facility. He repaid his agent when he suffered an injury that caused him to withdraw from the NFL draft pool, but that didn’t satisfy the NCAA.

Critics viewed it as overreach during the NIL era, when college athletes are paid millions of dollars and provided perks within the rules. Count Inge, Carter’s position coach, among those critics.

“It was a disappointing scenario,” Inge said on Aug. 8. “Disappointment would be the right word to use at this point in time because you’re dealing with a landscape that has evolved versus a rule that is kind of extinct.

“I’m disappointed because the punishment doesn’t fit the crime.”

Carter must sit out Tennessee’s first two games of the 2026 season against Furman (Sept. 5) and Georgia Tech (Sept. 12). He led the SEC with 7.6 tackles per game last season, earning all-conference honors.

Carter hasn’t commented publicly about the suspension. But Inge is the latest member of the Tennessee football program to demonstrate disappointment and frustration over the NCAA suspension.

Coach Josh Heupel was the most vocal. He called the decision “bullshit” among other choice words.

Teammate DeSean Bishop, an All-SEC running back, offered support in a lengthy statement: “I believe in Arion as a person, a leader, and a competitor.”

How Arion Carter got ready for season after injury

Carter did not practice in spring because he was recovering from the foot injury that derailed his NFL draft prospects.

He is now at full strength in preseason practice. Inge said he can tell that Carter did extra work and made the most of his time off the field.

“The biggest thing with Arion is that even though he didn’t get the opportunity to participate (on the field) in the spring, he was here,” Inge said. “He probably got more film study, more individual walk-through time than anyone in the organization when it comes to learning our defense.”

Fortunately for the Vols, there’s depth at linebacker. Edwin Spillman and Jeremiah Telander were among the SEC’s top tacklers last season, recording 81 and 80 tackles, respectively.

Penn State transfer Amare Campbell had 103 tackles last season. And he has experience in UT defensive coordinator Jim Knowles’ defense from their time together at Penn State.

Former four-star recruits Jadon Perlotte and Jaedon Harmon also return after playing a lot as freshmen.

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: Tennessee LB coach on Arion Carter suspension: 'Punishment doesn't fit the crime'