Tennessee football ranked 26th nationally in transfer portal recruiting for 2026. Not bad, but not good enough to keep up with most of its SEC competition.
Eleven SEC teams ranked ahead ofthe Vols in the 247Sports Composite. But rankings aren’t the only measuring stick for evaluating a team’s success or failure in the portal.
Filling needs is as important as rankings when it comes to judging a team’s transfer recruiting.
Two games − against an outmanned FCS opponent and a mediocre ACC team − won’t define Tennessee’s transfer class. Starting with Texas on Sept. 26, the Vols will play four nationally ranked teams. Those games will reveal much more about UT’s transfers.
But it’s not too early to appreciate how much transfers have bolstered a Tennessee
defense that allowed 31 or more points in seven of its eight SEC games last season.
If not for transfers, this defense might have been just as shaky, especially in the secondary.
In back-to-back games – a 56-9 opening win over Furman and a 45-24 victory over Georgia Tech on Sept. 12 − transfers have stood out on UT’s defense.
Penn State transfer tackle Xavier Gilliam had five tackles, three sacks and forced a fumble against Furman. Defensive back Dejuan Lane, another former Penn State player, made two of the most significant plays for the Vols in their convincing victory against the Yellow Jackets. He returned an interception for a touchdown in the first half and broke up a fourth-down pass in the end zone in the second half.
Lane’s timely plays were especially significant since he stepped in for former starter Edrees Farooq, who is out for the season after suffering a torn patellar tendon in August.
Linebacker Amare Campbell, a third Penn State transfer, had a team-high eight tackles against Georgia Tech and leads the Vols with 14 tackles in two games.
Four of Tennessee’s top seven tacklers against the Yellow Jackets are transfers. Safety TJ Metcalf had seven tackles; safety Qua Moss, five; and end Jordan Norman, four, including one of Tennessee’s four sacks.
You can’t evaluate those three former Nittany Lions solely by their stats, though. They have greatly enhanced Tennessee’s transition to a new defensive system, implemented by former Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Such transitions don’t always go well. But it’s difficult to find fault with the Vols through two games, particularly since they struggled terribly on defense last season. Their defensive totals so far: 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, two interceptions and one forced fumble.
UT’s pass coverage also has improved significantly. The Vols have given up an average of 132.0 yards passing through two games.
Granted, you must consider the competition. However, the Vols opened against weak opponents (Syracuse and ETSU) in their first two games last season, too. And those teams combined to average 220.5 yards passing.
Knowles obviously is a factor in the improvement. But you also can credit the transfers he brought with him.
John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football's improvement on defense is a tribute to transfers | Adams
