Syracuse head coach Fran Brown spoke highly of Tennessee’s coaching staff and roster while giving an opponent rundown during his Monday afternoon press conference between the season-opening game between the Vols and the Orange this Saturday in Atlanta, GA.
Brown mentioned 18 Tennessee players by either name or jersey number, recounting impressive play that he’s seen from them in the past or prior relationships that he built with certain players while on the recruiting trail.
One of the players that Brown gave high praise to is the quarterback of the Vols’ defense, Arion Carter. The 6-foot-1 linebacker is entering his third season with the Volunteers and is coming off a 2024 season that saw him lead the Tennessee defense in total tackles. Carter is a smart, athletic linebacker and someone who Tennessee will be relying heavily on in the middle of the defense when the ball is snapped on Saturday.
“That linebacker, (No.) 7, Arion, he’s a beast,” Brown said. “He can just play football. He’s really good, does a really good job.”
While playing in all 13 games last season, Carter racked up 68 total tackles with 29 of them coming as solo takedowns. He also recorded 6.5 tackles for loss, one interception, and seven pass deflections.
“When you come here in the morning, he’ll be the first one here,” Tennessee linebackers coach William Inge said of Carter earlier in the preseason. “You come here at night, he’ll be the last one leaving. Now, I think from a leadership standpoint, what he’s done is really turn into the player-led organization part of the program. He’s making sure the rest of the guys are doing some of those things. So, it’s not just him dealing with the linebackers, but him also dealing with the secondary, D-line, O-line and just his communication that he has around the guys on the team. And that’s what you want when you take the next step in leadership.”
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Carter wasn’t the only linebacker that Brown mentioned from the Vols defense on Monday. While also talking about Tennessee EDGE rusher Joshua Josephs, he mentioned the work that junior linebacker Jeremiah Telander has done.
“Their d-line, 19 (Joshua Josephs), did a hell of a job last year with 22 (linebacker Jeremiah Telander),” Brown said on Monday.
Brown also mentioned the job that defensive coordinator Tim Banks has done with the Vols’ program in his four years on Rocky Top.
“And then on the defensive side of the ball, Tim Banks is a good coach,” Brown said. “I got to know him a little bit. We’re not best of friends, but I know who he is. I respect him, I respect the work that he’s done. I remember meeting him from Penn State and things of that nature. He’s done a real good job of coaching.”
No. 24 Tennessee will take on Syracuse in the Aflac Kickoff game on Saturday, Aug. 30, at Noon ET. The game will take place in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
For a look at everything that Syracuse head coach Fran Brown said about Tennessee on Monday, click here.
