Rodney Garner has always done things his way. Throughout nearly four decades in the SEC, Tennessee football's defensive line coach has relied on tough love and bluntness to get the most out of his players. He is who he is and doesn't plan on changing.
Defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam got his first impression of Garner after transferring to Tennessee from Penn State ahead of his junior year. He was presented with straightforward directions.
"It's going to be the 'G' way or the highway," Garner said Oct. 6. "... I don’t really care what you did at Penn State. This is what you’re going to do here."
Accepting that was a required part of the process and difficult adjustment for Gilliam. He eventually jumped fully on board.
Through five games, Gilliam
has been the most productive defense lineman for Tennessee, which leads the nation with 23 sacks. He is tied for the team lead with four of them.
“(Gilliam) is doing a tremendous job," Garner said. "He’s a joy to coach. Any time you can have a talented young man that’s also the high character that he is, that wants to receive coaching. Even though he’s been in our program only for six months, this guy is totally bought in."
Next up for Gilliam and No. 14 Vols (4-1, 1-1 SEC) is their first SEC road test at Arkansas (2-3, 0-2) on Oct. 10 (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network).
Xavier Gilliam has been Tennessee's most productive defensive lineman
Gilliam came to Tennessee after making 16 tackles with 0.5 sacks in 2025 at Penn State. He quickly made a strong impression in the offseason and locked himself into a starting role on the Vols' interior defensive line.
The 2026 season has been a breakout for Gilliam, who has a team-best 8.5 tackles for loss. That would've led Tennessee last season and he still has seven regular season games to add to his total.
Garner pointed to Gilliam's initial quickness and power as his biggest strengths. He also has a violent and purposeful play style that Garner particularly appreciates.
"He doesn’t just step to the offensive line, he’s trying to go through them, create knock-back, cause havoc," Garner said.
How Xavier Gilliam has helped Tennessee teammates develop
Garner said that this has been one of his most enjoyable groups to coach because of the players' buy-in. Gilliam has accelerated that as an outspoken leader.
Linebacker Jeremiah Telander said Gilliam has been even more vocal than him on the practice field — a noteworthy admission considering Telander was described by defensive coordinator Jim Knowles in the preseason as the "heart and soul" of the defense.
Gilliam's play has uplifted the entire defensive line. When he gets double-teamed, his teammates are presented with more one-on-one opportunities.
"Obviously, when you have a guy with that kind of talent, that type of ability, he affects everybody," Garner said. "Especially being the type of young man that he is, everything is positive."
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: emmett.siegel@knoxnews.com; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How Tennessee football's Xavier Gilliam embraced Rodney Garner's tough coaching style
