UT's Arion Carter tabbed Witten Award semifinalist, national-scholar athlete

Tennessee's Arion Carter received two recognitions on Wednesday as the senior linebacker was named as a semifinalists for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award and finalists for the William V. Campbell Trophy. Carter was named one of 20 semifinalists for the Witten award for a second time. Picked by a subset of the Witten Selection Committee, the semifinalists have demonstrated exceptional leadership, courage, integrity and sportsmanship both on and off the field. Tennessee has had a Witten Award semifinalist in each of the past five seasons: Hendon Hooker in 2022, Joe Milton III in 2023, Bru McCoy in 2024 and Carter in 2025 and 2026. After shaving his head in support of his girlfriend, Mariah, during her treatment for breast cancer, he pledged a portion of his NIL earnings for each tackle and other defensive achievements to Girls in Real Life Situations (GIRLS), a non-profit helping young women overcome adversity. Through game seven, Carter has raised over $19,000.The Smyrna product is the eighth Vol in program history to be named one of the 18 National Football Foundation National-Scholar Athletes. Carter and the 18 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as members of the NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class presented by Fidelity Investments. Carter will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, where his accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports as well as the 2026 College Football Hall of Fame class. The Campbell Trophy, known as the 'Academic Heisman,' is the highest scholar-athlete award in college football. The 18 finalists were selected from a record 206 semifinalists nationwide from among all NCAA divisions. Past Tennessee winners include Michael Munoz (2004) and Peyton Manning (1997). Carter is one six SEC players on the 2026 Scholar-Athlete class, and he is Tennessee's first since center Brandon Kennedy in 2020. Manning surprised Carter with the official announcement in a video immediately following Wednesday's practice. 'It's an honor to be a part of this amazing Scholar-Athlete class,' said Carter. 'I appreciate everyone who has helped me get to this point, especially my family, teammates and coaches. I am excited to represent Tennessee on that stage in December. Thank you to the National Football Foundation for this recognition.' Carter graduated cum laude from Tennessee in August with a degree in public health, completing his undergraduate studies in just three and a half years and maintaining a 3.53 GPA. He has combined his academic achievements with an interest in pursuing postgraduate studies in medicine. 'Arion Carter embodies everything that is right about college athletics,' said Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel. 'His character and commitment to this program, his teammates and to others is contagious. He has spent all four years of his career here at Tennessee, which is a rare thing in this era. He turned an unfortunate situation into a positive, and he continues to impact people with his positive actions on and off the field. I am proud to be his coach.' Beyond football, Carter regularly visits patients at Dolly Parton Children's Hospital, supports Make-A-Wish and participated in Tennessee's VOLeaders Academy, including a service trip to Brazil.