Will Tennessee football be a College Football Playoff team or a 7-win program in 2026? The answer to that question may well depend on new Vols defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, says Greg McElroy of Always College Football.
As McElroy pointed out on Monday, Tennessee football could stand to be considerably better on defense heading into the 2026 campaign.
The Vols defense was “a bit of a mess last year,” ranking 92nd in total defense — which ranked above only Mississippi State and Arkansas in the SEC. The Vols fired defensive coordinator Tim Banks after 5 seasons in Knoxville and promptly turned to Knowles out of Penn State to address the issue.
McElroy also mentioned that Knowles’s units finished in the top 10 nationally in total defense in Year 1 at both Ohio State (10th) and Penn State (6th). Knowles also brought some former Nittany Lions with him such as Chaz Coleman and Dejuan Lane, who should help ease the transition into what is considered by some a tough defense to implement quickly. Of course, the results seem to disagree with that notion.
Here’s more from McElroy:
If Jim Knowles gets the @Vol_Football defense right, could Tennessee have a 10-WIN ceiling??#Vols | #GBO pic.twitter.com/2qtdZP3kit
— Always College Football (@AlwaysCFB) May 4, 2026Tennessee football opens its 2026 season on September 5 against Furman at Neyland Stadium before its first real test of the year at Georgia Tech.
Prediction Markets College Football SEC Championship Winner (2026) Learn more about Prediction Markets Kalshi Texas 26% Georgia 23% LSU 11% Alabama 10% Texas A&M 7% Florida 7% Oklahoma 7% Missouri 4% Vanderbilt 3% Arkansas 1% PredictGreg McElroy explains why Tennessee’s Jim Knowles is crucial for a 10-win season in Year 1 Saturday Down South.
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