Tennessee football is looking to bounce back defensively after a rough season in 2025. In response, Josh Heupel fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks and hired Jim Knowles as his replacement.
In the attempt to get things back on track, here are the three most important players in the effort.
DT – Xavier Gilliam
Tennessee was relatively thin at defensive tackle last year and is in a similar spot in 2026. That means that the top players at the position are going to have to step up again.
Perhaps the biggest star of spring camp, Penn State defensive tackle transfer Xavier Gilliam, is the name to watch at the position. Last season with the Nittany Lions, Gilliam recorded 16 tackles, 0.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Other names at the position include Daevin Hobbs, Isaiah Campbell, Ethan Utley and Nathan Robinson. Tennessee also brings a number of freshmen to fill out the room.
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LEO – Jordan Norman
On Friday, Tennessee officially parted ways with Penn State edge rusher transfer Chaz Coleman due to a ‘medical disqualification’. That leaves the position of LEO extremely thin entering next season.
Naturally, this makes the top of the room’s performance even more imperative. Tulane transfer Jordan Norman might’ve been the starter even if Coleman stayed in Knoxville, but he’ll certainly have the job now. With the Green Wave last year, he recorded 28 tackles and six sacks.
Behind Norman is redshirt-freshman Christian Gass and a handful of true freshmen. He can’t play every snap, but he’ll need to be great when he is on the field.
CB – Kayin Lee
The past two years, Tennessee has had breakout transfer stars at cornerback. First, Jermod McCoy was fantastic out of Oregon State. Then, Colton Hood broke out this past year out of Colorado.
The name to know that could fit the same mold in 2026 is Auburn transfer Kayin Lee. A year ago, he recorded 31 tackles, four passes deflected and an interception.
Ty Redmond, who had a strong end to his freshman year a season ago, will likely start on the other side. Other cornerback options feature Miami transfer Jadais Richard, Tre Poteat, Timothy Merritt and freshmen.
