Colorado defensive back Boo Carter arrived in Boulder with a checkered past. He was dismissed by the Tennessee Volunteers in November 2025 after missing a game against the New Mexico State Aggies. Carter had a breakout season in 2024 and was named to the SEC All-Freshman team after a string of promising performances.
Deion Sanders Explores Boo Carter’s Versatility for 2026 Season
While speaking to reporters after Tuesday’s spring practice session, Deion Sanders detailed his plans to explore Carter’s versatility to the limit before the 2026 college football season begins in earnest.
“I like Boo. We had a candid conversation on the field last week about playing multiple positions. He is arguably the best athlete on the team. He can do many things and I want him to do all the things he’s capable of doing for the NFL Draft.
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“He could play safety, he could play corner, slot, return kicks as well and do multiple things. He chose to come here for a reason and we’re happy with his choices.”
Carter was a running back in high school and was a highly sought-after four-star recruit and the No. 149 overall prospect in the class of 2024, according to ESPN. He committed to the Volunteers over offers from Colorado and the Michigan Wolverines.
In nine games played for the Vols in 2025, Carter tallied 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, three pass breakups, and one sack, earning a PFSN College Cornerback Impact score of 69.8. In addition, he managed 13.2 yards on punt returns.
As a freshman, he led the SEC in punt return average with 16.5 yards per return to showcase his versatility. In two seasons under head coach Josh Heupel at Tennessee, Carter played 447 (71%) of his 663 defensive snaps lined up in the slot.
During his news conference, Sanders further explained that he played cornerback to improve his draft stock.
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“I put him at corner the last two weeks because I want to see him do his thing,” Sanders said. “I wanted to see him play there because in history, I don’t see them say ‘At slot, chosen in the first round, such and such.’ I don’t see that, so I want him to have a chance to exhaust himself, not only at the corner position, the slot position, as well as safety.”
According to a “Knox News” report, Carter missed several offseason team activities, leading to a confrontation with Tennessee’s team leaders in July 2024. As a result, the talented defensive back was given certain conditions before he could be reinstated to the team before the season started.
