Tennessee fans have barely caught their breath from the Nico Iamaleava drama, and now, another five-star flashpoint has Vol Nation back on edge. Boo Carter, the explosive two-way freshman who took Rocky Top by storm last season, has been noticeably absent from recent team activities, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Yes, you heard that right, and it’s safe to say that Tennessee’s offseason drama just doesn’t want to rest.

Reports started spreading over the weekend that Boo was in California, and it couldn’t be some family vacation, especially in July. Fall camp is right around the corner, workouts are happening, and while most of his teammates were sweating it out in Knoxville, Carter was on the West Coast. Again. Sound familiar? Because Tennessee fans are still recovering from the Nico situation, it really does. The missed practices, the distant energy, the swirling rumors—it’s giving major déjà vu vibes.

And just when you think it’s all just some chatter on social media, boom! Here comes the twist: Boo Carter’s mother is a big-time Colorado fan. Not casually either. Deion Sanders‘ enthusiasm. That alone might not mean much, but in the age of NIL, social media influence, and parent-driven brand management, it’s hard to ignore. And we’ve all heard those reports about how Nico’s dad influenced his move from Tennessee to UCLA. So, the questions are, could this recent trip to California have been more than a getaway? Could it have been a glimpse of what’s coming?

Now, let’s come to the reality: Boo can’t play anywhere else this fall. The NCAA transfer rules don’t allow it, and doors have been shut. Even if he wanted to leave tomorrow, he’d have to sit out the 2025 season. So technically, this isn’t about a current transfer. But it could be about what happens next. A soft exit. A slow fade. The kind where a guy checks out mentally, misses enough team events to burn bridges, and then dips the second the season ends. It’s the same pattern Nico followed, and Tennessee fans are right to be worried that it’s happening again.

And it’s not like Carter’s some backup player. He’s the pride of Chattanooga. The four-star recruit who racked up 38 tackles, 3 TFLs, a sack, and an interception in his freshman season. Oh, and he led the SEC in punt return average with 16.5 yards per return. Carter even saw some time at wide receiver this spring, showcasing just how dynamic and trusted he’s become. He’s Tennessee’s Travis Hunter-in-training, and that’s what makes the idea of losing him sting so much more. However, even Josh Heupel won’t be able to stop him if he has made up his mind, and we saw that when Nico left.

Boo’s situation feels similar to Nico’s controversial exit

It was a shocker for the Tennessee fans when their star QB, Nico Iamaleava, decided to leave the program in the off-season. Nico played for the Volunteers for two years and showed that he can take the team to the top. He bonded brilliantly with other players. And if he’d have stuck with Tennessee at least for the 2025 season, who knows, we probably would have seen him become the national champion as the Vols leader. Standing at 6 feet 6 inches and weighing around 215 lbs, Iamaleava racked up 2,616 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions last season for Tennessee. Despite producing this kind of top performance, he decided to move, and the reasons are still unknown.

So many speculations were made on his departure. But according to Kirk Herbstreit, money might not have been the issue at all. Speaking on the Try That In a Small Town podcast on July 13, Herbstreit dropped a little behind-the-scenes tea. “I’ve heard different stories. Some people thought it was about money. I’ve heard from close sources that it was more about Nico’s dad going to Josh back in December before they played Ohio State, like, ‘Hey, listen, you gotta get better at offensive line and better at receiver, you gotta get better around him if you want us to stick around’, which blows my mind that a college quarterback’s dad would do that to a head coach.” Herbstreit said.

If you’re a Tennessee fan, you would never want to believe Boo Carter might follow the same path. But the early signs are too familiar to ignore. Maybe he suits up for the Vols this fall and balls out like we know he can. But if he doesn’t, if this is another unexpected exit, the Tennessee fans will be looking back at this summer as the beginning of the end.