By Jack Glennon
By now, it is no secret on Rocky Top that the 2025 Tennessee football campaign was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster.
While Josh Heupel’s conservative offensive approach arguably cost the Volunteers multiple games, a majority of the team’s struggles stemmed from an inexcusably poor defensive unit.
Tennessee’s defense allowed 412 yards per game a season ago, also surrendering almost 34 points per game in SEC play.
Thankfully for Tennessee, major changes to the defensive coaching staff suggest brighter days could be ahead.
The most notable of these changes is the hiring of Jim Knowles as the team’s new Defensive Coordinator, a move that I believe will save Josh Heupel his job.
“You have to have an answer for how [an offense is] attacking you…” Knowles said. “We’re going to have answers to anything an offense can do.”
Knowles, whom the Vols pried away from Penn State in December, also served as the Defensive Coordinator for the 2024 National Champion Ohio State Buckeyes.
That season, Knowles’ defense allowed the fewest yards and points per game of any team in the FBS.
“We can [progress] faster than other places…” Knowles said of his new defense. “We [have] a few players that have been in this system… they can help.”
Bringing in one of the nation’s top defensive minds will not only be an upgrade over former DC Tim Banks, but also has the potential to transform the Volunteer defense into one of the nation’s top units.
Though Tennessee’s atrocious defensive performance can be partially attributed to the absence of star cornerback Jermod McCoy, the unit will still have some exciting pieces for Knowles to build around.
Perhaps the most notable is Chaz Coleman, a five-star edge transfer following Knowles from Penn State.
“He is explosive, [and] difficult to block,” Knowles said of Coleman. “He [can] create havoc for an offense.”
Though Coleman saw limited playing time at Penn State a season ago, he ranked as the 7th-best recruit in the transfer portal and could quickly evolve into a cornerstone piece for the Tennessee defense.
Heupel and his staff were also able to lure defensive back TJ Metcalf from Michigan, perhaps re-solidifying a secondary that lost McCoy and Colton Hood to the NFL Draft.
“To be able to get a kid with that kind of experience [is big],” Tennessee Secondary Coach Anthony Poindexter said of Metcalf. “I think he [could] have an impact early.”
Though the transfer class for Tennessee is certainly exciting, Knowles and his staff will still have their work cut out for them.
Perhaps the most readily apparent shortcoming of Tennessee’s defense a season ago was its frequent inability to tackle opponents.
Unfortunately for the Volunteers, I suspect a similar trend may carry over into the 2026 campaign.
While the new defensive staff will likely have a positive impact on the Volunteers’ tackling woes, they will be forced to work with a linebacker core that is identical to 2025.
Jeremiah Telander and Arion Carter will once again highlight the linebacker room, as Tennessee was unable to recruit a top linebacker out of the transfer portal.
Knowles could undoubtedly transform this lackluster Tennessee defense into a dominant unit, but I will believe it when I see it.