KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was expected to need time to install his system at Tennessee. Seven games into his first season, the Volunteers defense is already the main reason the team sits at 6-1 and in the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth.
The year-over-year change is stark. Through six games the Vols were giving up 293.7 yards per game, 25th in the nation, down from 396.9 a season ago, and they ranked 19th in scoring defense. On third down, opponents had converted 34.92 percent of the time, good for 44th nationally, after a 2025 season in which Tennessee allowed 43.2 percent and ranked 99th.
Knowles did not arrive alone. He came over from Penn State, and several players and assistants made the same move, including defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam, linebacker Amare Campbell, safety Dejuan Lane, plus assistants Anthony Poindexter, who works with the secondary, and Andrew Jackson, who handles the LEOs. Their familiarity with the scheme helped the rest of the roster pick it up fast, alongside returning players and transfers such as Tyree Weathersby and Arion Carter.
Saturday against Alabama showed the payoff. The Crimson Tide finished with 201 total yards and went 2 for 12 on third down, while quarterback Keelon Russell threw for 147 yards and was responsible for three turnovers. Tennessee piled up five sacks and 10 tackles for loss in the 26-10 win.
Linebacker Jeremiah Telander forced the first fumble of his career on a first-quarter sack inside the Alabama 20, and Weathersby recovered it. Telander and Weathersby each finished with two sacks, the first time this season two Vols reached that mark in the same game and only the fourth time since 2018.
Because the defense kept getting off the field, Tennessee controlled the clock for 35 minutes and 44 seconds, which has covered for an offense that has dealt with an unsteady line and young quarterbacks.
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