Tennessee Football has made a move in the transfer portal by adding a former defensive tackle who played under Jim Knowles at Penn State last season. According to a report from Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett on Thursday, former Nittany Lions defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam is transferring to Tennessee to join Josh Heupel’s roster.
As a transfer portal prospect, 247Sports has Gilliam tagged as a four-star player, the No. 38 transfer in the cycle, and the No. 4 defensive lineman. Gilliam’s addition to the Tennessee roster helps fill a much-needed spot on the Vols’ defensive line.
The Maryland native has been with Penn State for the past two seasons but was directly under Knowles’ coordinator direction in 2025. He didn’t play much in his true freshman season, earning him a redshirt, but found a more significant role this past season. Gilliam played in all 12 games for the Nittany Lions with two starts, tallying 15 total tackles, two tackles for loss, and half a sack.
More From RTI: Star Tennessee Football RB Reportedly Signs New Deal to Return to Knoxville
As a high school prospect, Gilliam was tabbed as a three-star prospect out of Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, MD. He was a highly-ranked prospect on ESPN’s recruiting services, coming in as the No. 18 defensive tackle in the class. During his senior season, Gilliam helped lead his team to an 11-1 record and was named a First Team All-Metro selection.
Gilliam is Tennessee’s fourth addition from the transfer so far, alongside former Kansas State safety Qua Moss, former LSU offensive tackle Ory Williams, and former Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee.
While Gilliam will continue to play under Jim Knowles’ direction as the defensive coordinator, we also now know that he’ll be playing under Rodney Garner as the Vols’ defensive line coach. Garner entered the offseason as Tennessee’s lone assistant on an expiring contract, but the Vols kept him on Knowles’ staff moving forward. Garner is a highly respected assistant coach and will be an important piece for the Vols’ new-look defense next season.
In the defensive line room, Tennessee will return key players such as Daevin Hobbs and Nathan Robinson, along with rising sophomore Isaiah Campbell and Ethan Utley. The Vols will also be adding some fresh faces from the 2026 signing class, including four-star Dereon Albert, three-star Darryl Rivers, three-star JJ Finch, and three-star NicQuayvion Simmons.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more Tennessee football recruiting and transfer portal coverage.
