Tennessee safety Boo Carter commits to Colorado out of NCAA transfer portal

Tennessee safety Boo Carter has committed to Colorado out of the NCAA transfer portal, On3 has learned. Carter had a bit of a rocky relationship with the Volunteers, ultimately departing the program before the 2025 campaign had finished.

In two seasons at Tennessee, Carter recorded 63 tackles. He also notched two sacks, three forced fumbles, an interception and three passes defended.

Carter earned numerous SEC-related honors stemming from the 2024 season. He was a 2024 SEC All-Freshman team selection. He was also a 2025 preseason All-SEC third-team selection by the league’s coaches.

Boo Carter was arguably his most productive in terms of getting his hands on the ball in 2025. He logged 25 tackles, a sack, three forced fumbles and three passes defended this season.

But Carter didn’t stick around for the full season at Tennessee. He did not play in the team’s 42-9 win over New Mexico State in November. That absence was conspicuous.

Coach Josh Heupel expressed some disappointment in Boo Carter after the game. He shed a little light on the situation.

“At the end of the day, there’s a standard you’ve gotta meet to be in that locker room,” Heupel said. “So he was not out on the field with us. That will be my last response to anything related to that for right now.”

Boo Carter also missed several days with the team in July and went into call camp with questions about his availability. But he was able to work his way back into the good graces of the staff.

Ultimately, things didn’t end up working out at Tennessee. Shortly after that New Mexico State game, it was reported that Carter was splitting with the program.

“No, not regretful,” Heupel said. “At the end of the day, it’s our job as coaches to try to mold these guys, and that’s a part of the commitment that you make, you know, in the recruiting process and when they decide to come. You know, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. And, you know, at the end of the day, we’re moving forward.”

Prior to enrolling at Tennessee, Boo Carter was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 111 overall recruit in the nation, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. He also checked in as the No. 3 athlete in the class and the No. 3 overall player from the state of Tennessee, hailing from Chattanooga (TN) Bradley Central.