Joey Aguilar’s job just got a lot tougher. The 37-20 loss to Alabama delivered a solid hit to the Vols’ secondary unit, which may cost the QB’s protection. Josh Heupel’s team is dealing with a major blow as Arion Carter, a key member of their secondary, faces a significant health issue limiting his availability. As per sources, he’s been dealing with a lower-body injury this week. The LB is listed as questionable to play against the Kentucky Wildcats.

Carter has been the leading defensive lineman this season with 61 tackles altogether. That includes 20 solo stops, plus a sack and a forced fumble. That’s why his absence will be a major loss for the Vols’ offense, especially Aguilar. In this season, Joey Aguilar has completed his passes with 64.6% accuracy, covering a major area of 1948 yards with 15TDs. But now that Carter’s not there, it weakens Tennessee’s pass defense.

That’ll put pressure on Aguilar to hold the ball longer, increasing his exposure to hits like the one he took against Alabama. Late in the second quarter, right before he threw a clutch TD to tie it. Two Bama defenders crushed him near the sideline, and he went down, grabbing his neck. Carter is supposed to protect Aguilar from plays like that. Now, the LB was already battling a tough toe injury during the Vols’ win against the Mississippi Bulldogs. But he still played 65 snaps in that game. “He’s battling some turf toe,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price when asked about the 21-year-old.

“He’s really gutting through it. The kid is tough, man. He really is. And [he is] such a good kid. Really impressed by his perseverance on Saturday, because he could’ve easily just not made the trip. But he was adamant about playing. He went out there and made 17 tackles, really a fantastic job by him.” Then the bye week before the Arkansas game gave him some time to be healthy. But Carter’s appearance against the Wildcats looks tough, and he is not alone.

Tight end Ethan Davis remains sidelined with an upper-body injury, missing multiple games and leaving Miles Kitselman to shoulder heavy snaps with freshman help from Jack Vanorsela and DaSaahn Brame. Linebacker Ben Bolton also joins Carter as questionable, thinning depth at the second level of Tennessee’s defense.

Wide receiver Radarious Jackson might return after nursing a shoulder injury from the Georgia game. Now, that gives Joey Aguilar a possible extra target. Meanwhile, cornerbacks Jermod McCoy and Rickey Gibson are still ruled out.

Who has the edge amid lingering injuries?

With all these injuries in place, let’s talk about the odds between the Vols and the Wildcats. Tennessee enters Lexington as 9-point favorites, holding a 76.4% chance to win according to the moneyline. On the other hand, Kentucky sits as +258 underdogs. But the game is going to be another one of those SEC grinders. The Vols’ offense ranks among the top in the country, averaging 44.1 points per game, which puts them tied second-best nationally.

On the other side, Kentucky hasn’t scored much this season, averaging just 22.5 points per game. The model projects Tennessee to win 34-26, hitting the over on 54.5 total points. But the Vols’ biggest challenge is their defense, which gives up 30.4 points per game, ranked just 109th. And then the heaps of injuries are making the secondary unit much thinner than it already is.

That leaves room for Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley or tailback Seth McGowan, who has seven touchdowns, to exploit gaps. The Vols’ defense will need a bounce-back after Alabama gashed them 37-20 last week.