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Boo Carter set apart, Joey Aguilar debuts in first Tennessee football practice
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- Boo Carter set apart, Joey Aguilar debuts in first Tennessee football practice
This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.
Tennessee defensive back/punt returner Boo Carter was separated from the team during the first practice of preseason as he tries to atone for missing team activities during the summer.
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Exclusion appeared to be part of his punishment when the Vols took the field on July 30.
Carter went through the stretching period with his teammates, but he did not wear a helmet. When the team broke into positional groups, he stepped to the side and did drills on his own. And when the team transitioned from the indoor facility to the outdoor practice field for the bulk of practice, Carter remained inside with injured players.
Carter appeared healthy, so presumably heavy conditioning filled up the remainder of his practice. He did not rejoin his teammates during practice periods open to the media.
"Boo is a part of our team here. There's some things that he's got to accomplish to get back on the field with us," Heupel said during UT's on-campus media day on July 29. "Don't have a set timeline on that."
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The first hour of practice was open to media. Here are more observations from Tennessee 's first practice of the 2025 season.
Quarterback Jake Merklinger , not Joey Aguilar , was first in line
Redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger was first in line when the quarterbacks started passing drills. UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar , a former Appalachian State transfer, was second. Freshman George MacIntyre was third.
They are competing for the starting quarterback position left vacant by Nico Iamaleava , who transferred to UCLA following an NIL dispute.
It's probably foolish to read too much into the order of the quarterbacks during a drill. Merklinger has gone through these drills for more than a year, so he has familiarity with the routine. This was Aguilar's first practice, and MacIntyre debuted in spring practice.
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But the order of drills will be something to watch throughout preseason practice as UT tries to identify its starter.
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Injury updates: Jermod McCoy , Miles Kitselman
All-America cornerback Jermod McCoy, wide receiver Chris Brazzell and freshman defensive lineman Christian Gass were among the injured players who worked out on the side of the field.
Brazzell's injury is unspecified, but UT needs him healthy. There are only seven scholarship receivers on the roster, including three who have played in a college game.
McCoy tore his ACL in January, and there's no clearcut date for his return.
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"There's no timetable on (McCoy). There's benchmark things that he's got to accomplish within our training room to move on to the next phase of it," Heupel said. "He's handled (rehab) extremely well. And as we go through training camp, there will be progression. How his body responds to some of those things will kind of dictate the time period of when he's available for us."
Tight end Miles Kitselman wore a red no-contact jersey as he recovers from a pectoral injury that required surgery in the spring, but he was a full participant in practice. Expect UT to protect Kitselman throughout the preseason to ensure that he's ready to play against Syracuse in Atlanta on Aug. 30 (noon ET, ABC).
Freshman David Sanders is in starting lineup
Five-star freshman David Sanders, the No. 1 tackle in the 2025 class, has bulked up his 6-foot-6 frame from 270 pounds when he enrolled in January to 305 pounds to start preseason practice.
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Sanders was at right tackle with the first team in offensive line drills, indicating that he's the starter there. The depth chart could change throughout the preseason, but Sanders is in prime position to hold his spot after contender Larry Johnson transferred to Colorado in the spring.
The rest of the first team offensive line in drills included left tackle Lance Heard , left guard Wendell Moe, center William Satterwhite and right guard Jesse Perry.
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Heard is the only returning starter on the offensive line. Moe, a 2023 All-Pac-12 performer, transferred from Arizona. Notre Dame transfer Sam Pendleton was at second-team right guard during drills.
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Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Boo Carter set apart during first Tennessee football practice; Joey Aguilar debuts
