Tennessee’s defense has flipped the script this season, and safety Dejuan Lane says the group isn’t thinking about survival - it’s thinking about control.
After a rough 2025, Josh Heupel made the move away from Tim Banks and went all-in on Jim Knowles, a hire that has paid off fast. Knowles arrived with the kind of scheme that usually takes time to settle in, especially after Tennessee had already seen it up close when Penn State shut down the Vols’ offense in Columbus during the College Football Playoff a season ago.
But the expected adjustment period hasn’t really shown up. With several coaches following Knowles from Penn State and some familiar players joining the mix, Tennessee has found its identity on defense in a hurry.
Lane has been right in the middle of it. The safety has turned into one of the country’s best at his position through the first half of the season, with three interceptions and five tackles for loss. Tennessee has piled up 13 turnovers, which ranks 10th in FBS, and the Volunteers also lead the nation in sacks with 30, averaging more than four per game.
That production has given this unit a swagger that Lane describes in very different terms than your usual defense.
“Teams have to stop us,” Lane said. “A lot of times really, I don’t really think we play defense, I think we play offense.
By the way coach calls the game, how aggressively we play, you know, we tell teams where they’re going to run the ball, where they’re going to pass the ball, etc. So, yeah, that’s how I feel about that.”
That mindset showed up against Alabama last week, when Tennessee dictated the game and held the Crimson Tide to season lows across the board. Alabama never found much rhythm, and Neyland Stadium was as loud as it has been.
Now the challenge gets tougher. Tennessee heads on the road again to face LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina, which is coming off a blowout win at Florida and then had a bye week to get ready. The setting should be the most hostile environment Tennessee has dealt with this season, and it puts Knowles’ group into what looks like a very real letdown spot.
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