Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles held his first formal press conference with local media in Knoxville on Thursday, and the veteran coach said his Tennessee defense is starting from the same spot he is.
After missing out on the Playoff, Tennessee parted ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks after 5 seasons. The 60-year-old Knowles was Penn State’s defensive coordinator last season, and previously served in the same role for Ohio State (2022-2024).
The hope is that Knowles can get Tennessee back into the College Football Playoff. To do it, he’ll need to rebuild a defense that dropped from fifth in per-play efficiency in 2024 to 67th in 2025.
Knowles shared how he’s handling the defensive transition now that he’s in Knoxville.
“I’ve done it differently at different places. Here, we are starting from a clean slate. That doesn’t mean we don’t use some things they’ve used in the past,” Knowles said. “I try to listen to a certain way that they’ve called a certain thing, and I can change on that if they’re already familiar with a certain term. But, in general, I’d say we’re starting from a clean slate.”
Knowles has a reputation for getting the best out of his players. He’s had 3 defenses rank in the top 15 for yards per play in the last 5 seasons.
Tennessee posted an 8-5 record last season. That wasn’t good enough for the CFP. The latest odds at Kalshi give UT a 45% chance to qualify for the CFP in 2026.
Prediction Markets College Football Playoff Qualifiers 2026 Learn more about Prediction Markets Kalshi Indiana 75.0% Ohio St. 73.0% Oregon 73.0% Georgia 72.0% Notre Dame 65.0% Texas Tech 65.0% Miami (FL) 60.0% Texas 54.0% LSU 53.0% Ole Miss 38.0% PredictJim Knowles says Tennessee defense is starting spring with ‘clean slate’ Saturday Down South.
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