Tennessee’s Arion Carter to donate $427 cancer research for every tackle in 2026
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Back in July, the NCAA suspended Tennessee Volunteers linebacker Arion Carter two games for taking a flight to an NFL pre-draft facility (later reduced to one game). The cost of that flight, $427, is something Carter has decided to pay forward once he returns to the field.
Monday morning, Austin Price of Volquest reported Carter would be donating $427 to cancer research for every tackle he makes this season.
If Carter were to replicate his 2025 numbers this season, he’d donate nearly $32,500 to cancer research. Fans across the SEC commended the senior linebacker for his generosity.
Carter tied for the third-most tackles among Vol defenders (76) in 2025. Those stops came in just 10 games, though. Each of the other Tennessee defenders in his stat range — Edwin Spillman (81), Jeremiah Telander (80) and Edrees Farooq (76) — played in all 13 of the Volunteers’ contests.
With Carter sidelined, Xavier Gilliam and Amare Campbell tied for the team lead with 6 tackles in Tennessee’s 56-9 win over the Furman Paladins. Gilliam, a Penn State transfer, was a one-man wrecking crew, notching five tackles for loss and three sacks. The Volunteers return to action on Saturday, Sept. 12 against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
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