Tennessee linebacker Arion Carter’s NCAA suspension has been reduced from two games to one, according to reports.
Carter will now miss only the season opener against Furman on Sept. 5 and is expected to return for the Week 2 game at Georgia Tech on Sept. 12.
The original two game suspension stemmed from Carter accepting a $427 flight from an agent during the NFL pre-draft process earlier this year. He later withdrew from the draft after a foot injury, repaid the cost of the flight, and returned to Tennessee.
The NCAA initially handed down a three-game ban before reducing it to two after an appeal by the university. The latest reduction brings the penalty down to a single game.
Carter was Tennessee’s leading tackler the past two seasons and one of the top returning linebackers in the SEC.