After losing several key starters from last season to the NFL draft and transfer portal, Tennessee had to reconstruct almost their entire secondary.
With the help of first year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, the Vols scored key DB replacements in DeJuan Lane, TJ Metcalf and Qua Moss, through the spring portal.
Now 12 practices into spring camp, the new Volunteers have made progress on the field and have started to feel at home in Tennessee orange. But the transition, by no means, has been an easy one.
“He’s challenging, " Moss said of playing in DC Jim Knowles’ defense. But I know that everything he's doing for us is great. You need a coordinator that's going to make sure you're [being] the best that you can be.”
Moss, who joined the Vols as a senior, previously played at the JUCO level, West Georgia and most recently Kansas State where he started in 10 of his 12 games, recording 41 tackles, one sack and two interceptions.
Moss has full-heartedly bought into Knowles’ system as he looks to become a better all-around DB. “It’s all out of love,” Moss said of Knowles coaching. "It's great working for him.”
Metcalf, another senior DB, made the switch to Tennessee after playing at Michigan in 2025 and Arkansas in the two seasons prior.
As an experienced defender who earned an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention last season, Metcalf came into Knoxville prepared and expecting a challenge from his new system.
“I could tell off first look that it would be a complex defense,” Metcalf said. “But I saw it as a defense where everyone can make plays.”
Giving credit to the all-new strength program at Tennessee led by Derek Owings and staff, Metcalf reflected on the program’s effectiveness and impact on the team’s overall mentality.
“It's fun to work with them,” Metcalf said. “Every day we go in and we know it's going to be a grind. We joke around with them, but at the end of the day we know it's about serious work and that's what we're going to put in every day.”
A new face in Tennessee, but no stranger to Knowles’ defense, Lane, the junior safety transfer from Penn State has had a different transition than other defensive newcomers.
“We’re running a lot of the same things from last year,” Lane said, which has made him a go-to for more unfamiliar players in Knowles' scheme.
“I have a good amount of guys that ask me for tidbits on defense,” the safety said. "What to look at, how to do certain techniques… I’m glad that I have that experience to help guys get set up.”
Urging the buy-in of his teammates, both new and old to Tennessee, Lane has high hopes for the 2026 defensive unit once routines are finalized and roles are learned before the season.
"The best thing you can do is do your job and hope others do their job,” Lane said. “When you have 11 guys on the same page, you're looking at a top-level defense.”