Tennessee’s defense got an early jolt from a familiar face against Furman, and Xavier Gilliam wasted no time making his presence felt.
The redshirt sophomore defensive lineman, who transferred in from Penn State, has been a problem for the Paladins from the opening drive. Tennessee has been rolling, and a big reason Furman has struggled to get anything going is Gilliam’s work up front.
That production has already blown past what he did in his first season with the Nittany Lions. Gilliam recorded just 0.5 sacks in his redshirt freshman year at Penn State, but he’s already piled up 3 sacks today against Furman.
Those 3 sacks are enough to put him in Tennessee’s record book for this game. It’s the most by a single Vol since the 2018 season, when Darrell Taylor had 3 sacks and 2 forced fumbles in a 38-12 loss to Georgia. Taylor also had two career games with 3 sacks during his Tennessee career.
For a program that has leaned on strong defensive line play in recent years, Gilliam’s debut-level burst stands out. The opponent isn’t the kind Tennessee will see in the coming weeks, but the performance still gives the defense something concrete to build from.
New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is trying to shape the unit’s identity early, and getting this kind of outing from one of his former Penn State players has to be a welcome sign. If Gilliam keeps wrecking plays the way he did today, Tennessee’s front could become a major problem for whoever lines up next.
In Other News...
Tennessee Fans Still Found A Way To Keep Game Day Tradition Alive
Rain may have knocked out the full Tennessee Vol Walk before the Furman game at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, but it did not shut down one of the programs most familiar pregame traditions. With inclement weather forcing a cancellation, the scene outside the stadium still had the feel of a normal Saturday in Knoxville, only with ponchos, fans and a little more improvisation than usual.
Players and fans found a way to make the most of it with a modified walk that still brought both sides together before kickoff. The details were different, but the point of the tradition held up anyway, and for a fan base that treats game day as more than just the four quarters on the field, even a weather delay could not fully interrupt the ritual. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Has An Early O-Line Concern Before Georgia Tech
Tennessee got through its season opener against Furman with a little less certainty in the middle of the line than it expected. Sam Pendleton, the Vols returning starting center, was held out after an injury was discovered following warm-ups, leaving the offense to make a quick adjustment before kickoff. Sophomore Nic Moore stepped into the spot and handled the assignment well, giving Tennessee a usable answer in a pinch.
Josh Heupel said Pendleton is expected to be ready for the next game against Georgia Tech, which should ease the immediate concern for a line that needs stability early in the year. Even with Moores solid outing, the Vols will be watching closely to see how quickly Pendleton gets back into rhythm, because center is one of the spots where timing and communication matter as much as raw talent. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans Have Another Reason To Be Excited About David Gabriel Georges
Tennessees future backfield continues to look a little more electric by the week, and David Gabriel Georges gave volunteers fans another reminder why he is such a coveted commit. The five-star running back kept rolling for Baylor School in a 51-33 win over Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, finding the end zone three times and showing the kind of burst that has made him one of the premier names in the 2027 class.
Georges scored once in the first quarter, again just before halftime and then finished the night with a 77-yard touchdown run. Ranked by 247Sports as the No. 9 prospect in his class and the No. 2 running back overall, he continues to back up the hype with production, which is exactly the sort of development Tennessee wants to see while the program waits for him to arrive in Knoxville. [Read more 🡒]