Tennessee Football's James Pearce Jr. and Boo Carter Receive SEC Weekly Honors

The two Vols defenders were recognized for their efforts in the win over Florida.

Tanner Johnson | Oct 14, 2024

Oct 12, 2024; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Graham Mertz (15) is tackled by Tennessee Volunteers defensive lineman James Pearce Jr. (27) before fumbling the ball at the goal line during a game at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images / Brianna Paciorka/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

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Tennessee Volunteers

Tennessee escaped Neyland Stadium with a 23-17 overtime victory over Florida on Saturday night. While the offense struggled for much of the game, the Vols' defense continued its strong play.

Among the best performers on the defense were junior edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and freshman defensive back Boo Carter. For their efforts in the win, Pearce was named SEC Co-Defensive Linemen of the Week, and Carter was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week.

This is the third time that Pearce has won this award and the first time this season. He is one of the top defensive prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft class, and he played up to that billing on Saturday. According to PFF, Pearce had two quarterback pressures and finished with one sack in the fourth quarter on an important third down play.

Carter is one of the most promising young players on Tennessee's roster, and he had the best game of his career so far against Florida. He finished with seven tackles and a 10-yard sack. He also had 1.5 tackles for loss that totaled -11 yards for the Gators offense. Those numbers in tackles, sacks, and TFLs are all career-highs for Carter.

Carter and Pearce are going to have to continue to step up and lead what has been a great defensive unit for Tennessee this season. They have held all six of their opponents to under 20 points so far in 2024. The Vols next take on Alabama, who is coming off of its lowest point total of the season when it scored 27 in a victory over South Carolina. However, before that game, the Crimson Tide had scored over 40 points in each game.