Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks met with the local media Tuesday afternoon on the eve of the Vols’ 2025 fall practice. The Vols’ defense has gotten better every season under Banks’ tutelage and projects to be strong again next season.
Banks discussed cross training in the secondary, the Vols’ young linebacker unit and much more. Here’s everything Banks said.
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On Colorado transfer Colton Hood potentially benign an instant impact guy
“Yeah, we’re excited about Hood, to say the least. And I think it just starts with the process getting to know him. He’s extremely competitive. He’s a kid who understands, there’s a process to everything that you do, and he’s really working at it. So I think he’s fit in with our guys and our group. He’s super hungry, but he’s really smart. And like I said, just the competitive nature that he brings to the room. Obviously he’s got to do it here at the University of Tennessee, but based on everything we’ve seen this summer, again, how he’s fit in with everybody, how hard he’s worked, we have no doubt that he’ll be able to help us in some capacity.”
On if Colton Hood and Kaleb Beasley will work at multiple spots in fall camp
“Yeah, I think that’s one of the things we prided ourselves in— teaching guys not just how to play defensive back, but every position in terms of whether it’s a STAR, whether it’s a safety, whether it’s a corner spot. So obviously guys have unique skill sets that you try to play to your strengths. You mentioned Beasley. He’s definitely had a chance to play some STAR in the spring. He’s also played some safety. We think he’s a guy who brings great versatility to the position. But we’re mixing a lot of guys there if we’re being honest and being frank. We’re excited about, you mentioned Colton Hood, you talk about Jalen McMurray, even William Wright. We’ve had numerous guys that have gotten some reps at that spot. So it’s our job right now, between Coach Martinez, Coach ET and those guys to figure out to put the best guys in the best spots to be the most valuable that they can be to this team.”
On the linebackers behind Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander
“I think the first guy comes to mind is Edwin Spillman. Spillman had a really good spring for us. He’s exactly what we’re looking for in terms of just understanding standards and living by it day by day. Just the way he comes to work every day. Great leadership skills. Another guy, Jordan Burns has gotten significantly better over the past year and a half. So we’re excited about those guys.
Brandon Anes showed some things as well during spring. He’s a guy who has great combination of size and athleticism. And then we got obviously a couple young guys between Harmon and Perlotte. So, yeah, we’re obviously going to be young there,but we feel like, you know, from a talent perspective we’re probably even deeper than we’ve been in the past, just based on pure talent.”
On when they need to hone in on certain positions for certain guys in the secondary
“Yeah, that’s a great question. We’ve obviously had from right after the season to weightlifting, right before spring ball you start going through installs and things of that nature. You obviously have spring, then you have the summer ball, and then obviously we’re going into the fall camp. So we’ve had some moments to be able to teach and evaluate. Obviously, as the bullets start to fly, as you start to put more on their plate, you get a better idea who can handle what and who obviously needs to be at what position. So I think that’s always a work in progress. We’ve got some really resilient kids, extremely smart kids and very competitive kids. So those guys want the challenge. They want opportunities to play multiple spots. But again, at some point, we’ll obviously figure out who’s best at what and we’ll go from there.”
On returning a number of experienced players on the defensive front
“We’re excited about them. We feel like we built a really good culture around here and it’s refreshing that guys want to be a part of it. Our front, we got a lot of guys that obviously hasn’t played a lot. We do have some key figures that played a lot of snaps, significant snaps. So it’s up to those guys to continue to move the needle, so to speak, to bring those other guys along. But, yeah, it’s been awesome. But I think that’s a tribute to the culture we built here on defense and obviously what coach Heup has done overall as a team.”
On preparing guys for the grind of fall camp
“We like to think we’ve been working at it again since spring ball. Understanding what was ahead of us, understanding how fast this thing comes. But it’s not hard. These kids love ball. They love football. They’re excited about it. They can’t wait to get down there. If anything, it’s us trying to slow them down a little bit, not trying to get it all done in one day. But that’s what you want as a coach. You want guys that are eager and excited about the opportunity. But it’s been fun, it really is. Like I said, we have a really good mix of older guys with a lot of talented young guys new to the program. But the way these guys hit the ground running since spring ball, I know they can’t wait to get going and neither can we.”
On Edwin Spillman’s ability to rush the passer from the linebacker spot
“Yeah, you know all those backers want to pressure and blitz, so I’m not surprised he said that. There’s a lot of them saying the same thing. But yeah, they’ll get their opportunities. We’re a pressure team and we want athletic linebackers that can win one on ones. And he’s definitely worked his tail off during spring to kind of sharpen some of the technique and the fundamentals that come with being a great pass rusher. So, no, it’s exciting. You want guys that believe in themselves and are confident, and obviously showing it in practice day in and day out would be the proof in the pudding.”
On Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander being so effective at pushing each other
“Man, those guys are just competitive. They want to win. Just watch these young guys, how they’ve matured over the last couple years. And that’s what you want. You want your linebackers to be the tip of the spear. Guys that can lead. Guys that are high communicators. And both those guys have that. You look at Telander, he’s a coach’s kid. That’s what you expect. Obviously with Arion, the amount of snaps, he’s played, he’s earned that right.
“So both of those guys have been outstanding since spring ball, even before that, you talk about the fourth quarter workouts. Those guys have been tremendous leaders and great ambassadors for our program. So I think both of those guys are prime for great years. And just because of the energy and the work that they put in it, they can’t help but lead. And the guys will follow them.”
On what Josh Josephs has to do to take the next step in his career, what Caleb Herring has to do to contribute more
“Yeah, I think for Josh to just continue to do what he’s been doing. He’s been extremely good for us in the run game. When you go back and you watch the cut-ups and you see how valuable he was in the run game, we kind of felt that way, but to get proof of concept is another thing. And he did it in spades for us. I think, as he just continues to be the vocal leader, I think when he got here, I think Josh would tell you he was quiet, kind of to himself. But you see him being a lot more vocal, a lot more to the point with the younger guys. It’s only helped us.
“I think for Caleb it’s just staying healthy. And he’s worked his tail off to do his part for it. And so far it’s been great. So we feel really blessed to have both of those guys and we’re clearly expecting big things from both of those guys. High returns.”
On what makes him believe this Tennessee defense can be better than the 2024 defense
“Yeah, not to be cliche on you, but we look at every year as a new year. And I think that’s why we’ve been able to build the culture the way we built it. We don’t necessarily talk a lot about what we did last year or where we need to go as a unit because it’s a different team. There are obviously some things that you look at statistically where you can be better. You ask yourself, is it scheme, is it personnel? How can we be better as coaches? But to a man, those guys understand this is a new year. And I think because we have that starting fresh, starting over, adhering to the process and working step by step, day by day to get better. I think that’s always helped us, the way we’ve been able to grow. Just because we don’t, we know no sacks, no interceptions, no tackle for losses or pay dividends on this year, and those guys understand that and I think that’s why we’ve been good.”
On the growth of Tennessee defensive back Rickey Gibson III
Yeah, you just watched Ricky’s confidence grow throughout the course of the season last year. And it was no different during spring ball. He’s got a great quiet confidence about him. It was always the thought that he could do it, but for him to do it and do it at the level he did, I think it only breeds confidence for him. And again, when you play on that back end, confidence is everything. And I think even the younger corners, seeing how he goes about his business has only helped that room.
“But I think for him, he’s gotten a lot stronger. He’s really paid the price in the weight room and off the field with all the things he needed to do to be a stronger defensive back. And I think you will see that come to fruition in terms of how he plays, just be able to see the strength of which he plays with. But yeah, I think he’s just scratching the surface, if I’m being honest. I think he can be even better and I know he wants to be and he’s continued to work at it.”
On if Tennessee’s self scouts on defense are different now, compared to previous seasons, what they’re looking for this season
Yeah, I think for us when you look at the self scout, it always comes down to are we playing winning football? What do we need to do to win? And I think at the end of the day, whether you’re talking our first year here or three years after that, we’ve always tried to play to the strengths of our players, first and foremost, put those guys in the best situation to be successful. And as you evaluate it, you ask yourself, did you do that? We felt like we did that in a lot of ways. There are obviously some things we think we can still be better at. Whether you’re talking about first-and-10 defense, whether you’re talking about continuing to be even better in the red zone. Because again, as good as you are, we look at that tape like, man, if we had just executed a little bit better here, we’ll be even better. So I don’t know that there’s some real big action items outside of just continuing to grow and make sure again, as we identify who we are from a personnel group, now the next question is always, well, how do we play to their strengths, put these guys in the best situations to play winning football?”
On Andre Turrentine being a veteran at safety, having to lead younger players in the secondary
“I know we mentioned Arion (Carter) and (Jeremiah) Telander, but I put Dre in that same conversation. He’s been awesome from a leadership perspectiv. He’s definitely been a voice in that room. He’s got great work ethic. I think his body has changed. I think he’s gotten stronger, or I know he’s gotten stronger. And we’ll see him continue to play with even greater confidence. Last year I think was his first year fully starting the whole year. And he did a lot of really good things for us. But as we watch the tape and some of the private conversations we had, I think he understands there’s still some meat on the bone and some things that he can do better. But where he is right now today as a leader has been outstanding.
“He’s what you’re looking for. He’s a kid that gets it. You talk about being able to play the strengths and, scheme wise, he’s a kid that can digest it and be able to articulate it. So he’s one of the guy, you can kick the scheme around to and if he doesn’t understand it, then there’s a good chance nobody is understanding it. So he’s kind of been the sounding board for us as a coaching staff in the back end.”
On what he’s seen from Edrees Farooq during his Tennessee career
“Really, really good. Edrees has always been a 100-miles-an-hour guy.
You know, great physicality. He’s a guy that is selfless, that, again, embodies what we want to be on defense. So we’re excited. He had a really good spring for us, was consistent. He worked on some of the things that he felt like he needed, that we identified that he needed to work on coming out of last fall. He addressed it, so we’re really excited about him. We really are. I put him, I think he’ll be what Dre is, in terms of being a guy that’s super sharp, that’s able to communicate the defense. We think he’s cut from that same cloth. He just needs the opportunities. And as long as he continues to do what he did in the spring, he’ll have those opportunities.”
On Arion Carter and how he can take the next step at linebacker
“Yeah, I mean, I think just, again, being more vocal. Not being afraid to hold guys accountable. He has been awesome. That can be extremely uncomfortable for people in general, when you talk about young people. But he has really embraced that role. I think his body, look at his body, has changed a little bit.
He’s noticeably bigger and stronger. So we’re definitely looking forward to seeing a guy with that type of instincts, that type of grasp of the defense and now that size and combination of power. Just kind of seeing what it looks like when he puts it all together this fall. So I think he’s in a really good place for us right now. And like I said, we’re expecting really big things from him.”
