All right, we're here with Tennessee linebacker, Arian Carter.

So, man, are you enjoying your SEC Media Days experience? Yeah, for sure. It's a blessing. You know, I'm just grateful to be here and have this opportunity. Just be able to show our brand and our culture. And what's it going to take you think for Tennessee? I mean, got to the playoff, thanks in large part to the defense. How can the defense take that next step, you think, to maybe even go further in the playoff this year? Yeah, just really, like, worrying about the minute details of everything, just being able to know the ends in and out of the structure of the defense. What we're trying to accomplish on certain structures of defense, and, you know, just interesting, Coach Banks is going to put us in the right positions to go win this year. And then offensively just being able to play complimentary football, you know, as a whole. And then, you know, adding that third piece of special teams on being able to go out there and make game-changing plays when it's needed. I want to ask you, one of the things that was a big topic coming in the last year was the voice in the the helmet who's wearing the helmet piece this season do you know yeah uh jeremiah jeremiah two-lander yeah is this something that you have to prepare for too just in case yes sir i do whenever we're going on like our dying packages or anything or even when i'm at mike because i we're interchangeable we play both uh i play mike and i play mike and will so whenever i go in at mike and i need the helmet you know i put it on You know, we're interchangeable. We play both. I play Mike and Will.

So whenever I go in at Mike and I need the helmet, you know, I'll put it on. You know, we practice things like that in game-like situations. But, yeah, I'll put it on plenty of times. I know you probably don't listen to idiots like us. And not that we've said this, but we're hearing it from a lot of people. the Tennessee is going to take a step back, lost quarterback,

lost probably the best running back in the conference.

You know, a lot of guys left.

Does that motivate you this year to prove a lot of doubters wrong?

Oh, yeah, we don't really listen too much outside noise.

We're only worried about what's in the building, what we control it day in and day out.

You know, we're taking every step with the right mindset, being intentional with what we do every day, being able to work, and make sure we're prepared for that moment, and so we can seize the moment when it's ready and prepare for us. That's a good answer. I like that. No, and with that, you know, I always think, especially the way you guys have been playing defense, I feel like every defense that comes out of Tennessee here lately has got its own identity. You know, what's the identity that this defense is going to have this season? Yeah, you know, just be fierce, dominant, honestly. You know, it starts up from the front, you know what I'm saying, our forefront. You know, I trust in those guys to be able to be the tip tip of the spear go reset the line of scrimmaging and then I trust in myself and my partner and crying with

Jeremiah to go and fill it and be clean-up crew and I trust my dbs to go out there and play with

great intention intentionality and focus to be able to and play the ball when passes are coming every way

Tennessee's had a lot of big wins since you've been on campus I don't know if you and play the ball when passes are coming their way.

Tennessee's had a lot of big wins since you've been on campus.

I don't know if you ever thought about this,

but do you have one that is like your favorite,

whether it's a home game with just insane people storming the field or maybe even a way game?

I don't necessarily have a favorite.

I feel like one of my favorites will probably be when we play Alabama this year.

That was just a great game overall.

You know, two great teams with great tradition going at it.

It's always great playing, great competition like themselves,

especially like teams like that in our SEC and our league.

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