Could this Volunteers weakness from 2025 be their biggest strength in 2026?
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After a disastrous defensive campaign in 2025 in which the Tennessee Volunteers yield nearly 400 yards of total offense per game (good for 14th in the SEC), the team was due for a complete overhaul.
After firing defensive coordinator Tim Banks, they got one.
Though the Volunteers had a plethora of shortcomings on defense last season, one in particular was painfully obvious: their complete inability to make tackles in the open field.
Tennessee particularly struggled to contain dual-threat quarterbacks, allowing Oklahoma’s John Mateer and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia to scramble for a combined 267 yards (excluding sacks).
Unsurprisingly, the Volunteers lost both games in miserable fashion.
If Tennessee wants any chance of competing in an SEC that includes dual-threat quarterbacks like Trinidad Chambliss (Mississippi), LaNorris Sellers (South Carolina), and Byrum Brown (Auburn), this issue simply cannot go unaddressed.
Though Tennessee’s linebacker group did not lack leadership a season ago, returning juniors Arion Carter and Jeremiah Telander, the unit lacked viable options behind the two veterans.
This season, however, could be an entirely different story after new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was able to lure one of the Big Ten’s top linebackers to Knoxville.
Amare Campbell, who played for Knowles at Penn State last season, totaled 103 tackles (9.5 for a loss), three sacks, and a scoop-and-score across 13 starts.
Not only would Campbell’s 103 tackles have led the Volunteers, but they would have been the SEC’s top mark by a wide margin.
Also exciting for Tennessee is the development of Edwin Spillman, who totaled a team-high 81 tackles last season, en route to being named to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
Adding a dynamic Campbell and a developed Spillman to an already experienced linebacker group gives the Volunteers flexibility to make rotations throughout the season.
A large portion of the team’s tackling struggles last season appeared late in close games, when Tennessee’s lack of linebacker depth reared its ugly head.
With four experienced and capable inside linebackers this season, though, the Volunteers could be set up well for years to come.
Seniors like Telander, Carter, and Campbell will undoubtedly play a significant role in the development of not only Spillman, but also of the rest of Tennessee’s defensive youth.
Freshman Brayden Rouse, for example, who joins the Volunteers after being ranked a consensus top-10 linebacker prospect, will be in line for a starting job after Carter, Telander, and Campbell graduate.
Notable additions across the rest of the defense, such as Xavier Gilliam (DL), TJ Metcalf (S), and Qua Moss (DB) will also help the Volunteers’ linebackers protect the middle of the field.
If Knowles and the rest of his defensive staff hope to transform a lethargic defense into one of the SEC’s best, improving the linebacker play is a non-negotiable.
