Tennessee football will be commanded by a new defensive coordinator next season. After the firing of Tim Banks, Josh Heupel tabbed Jim Knowles as his new defensive coordinator.
So, what should you expect from Knowles’ scheme? On an appearance on ‘The Mike Keith Show‘, he detailed what the personnel packages look like. The base is a 4-2-5, the same that the Vols used under Banks. This means there are four defensive linemen, two linebackers and five defensive backs on the field.
However, Knowles is open to putting a third linebacker on the field at times. This could be a 4-3 look, with four linemen, three linebackers and four defensive backs, or a 3-3, with three linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs. At times, Banks’ defense went to a 4-3, but didn’t go to a 3-3.
“Base 4-2-5. We’ll get into some 4-3 looks when needed based on personnel,” Knowles said. “We’ve been able over the years, haven’t done it recently, we’ve been able to create some problems with the offense with a package that looks a little bit more like a 3-3, but allows us to create some defensive line match-ups and take advantage of some things on defense. Play more offense on defense. Be more attacking. So I think we may have the guys here to do that, so it creates some different looks out of a 4-2-5. But it can look a little bit more like odd.”
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Tennessee certainly has the personnel to use a third linebacker. The Vols return the entire room, except reserve freshman Brenden Anes, and bring in Penn State transfer Amare Campbell.
That means Campbell, Arion Carter, Edwin Spillman, Jadon Perlotte, Jeremiah Telander, Jaedon Harmon, Ben Bolton, Jordan Burns and freshmen Brayden Rouse and TJ White will be in the room with the chance to contribute.
“It starts with being the quarterback of the defense, right?” Knowles said on the linebacker room. “So you have Amare (Campbell) coming in from Penn State. And you have AC (Arion Carter), who’s been here and Edwin (Spillman). I know, I recruited Edwin, I recruited Arion, I recruited those guys. So they know me. And that’s where it starts, with being the quarterback and the leader of the defense. So forget about scheme, right there, I think we got a great room of guys that can really be the quarterback of the defense and run things.
“And then you have some depth, right? I think depth is a bit of an issue in the secondary. We ought to bring some guys in. But linebackers, Amare Campbell was the only guy that came in, and it’s because there’s already great depth there. There’s also great culture there. One of the things I learned during bowl prep was that, it’s a credit to Coach Inge, the linebacker room was the tightest-knit group out of anyone. Other people said that. So those guys are really the glue to the defense, so before we even talk about scheme, I think we’re just talking about the people and that we have a real opportunity to be successful with those guys running it.”
There’s a chance Tennessee could add more to the defense through the portal, though. The Vols are still hosting some targets in the hopes of bolstering that side of the ball. However, a position UT hasn’t looked at after the landing of Campbell and return of Carter has been linebacker.
