Tennessee’s offseason has been defined by uncertainty in a few big places, but one unit is drawing national praise for all the right reasons.
CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer ranked the best positional groups in college football for 2026, and Tennessee’s linebackers landed at the top of the list. That’s a notable spotlight for a Vols team that has otherwise flown a little under the radar, with roster turnover and an unsettled quarterback battle shaping the conversation around the program heading into what looks like a wide-open SEC race.
The Vols’ defensive overhaul started back in December, when Tim Banks was fired and Jim Knowles was hired away from Penn State. Knowles also brought several former Nittany Lions with him to Knoxville, including EDGE Chaz Coleman, linebacker Amare Campbell and safety Dejuan Lane. Coleman is now gone, but Campbell remains a major piece in the middle and is expected to make a strong impact this season.
Hummer pointed to Tennessee’s depth as the reason the group stood out nationally.
“The Volunteers have the deepest linebacker unit in the country. For example, Edwin Spillman (81) and Jeremiah Telander (80) led Tennessee in tackles last year and are back in 2026. Yet there’s a real chance neither starts due to the presence of Arion Carter -- an expected draft pick who returned to school because of injury -- and Penn State transfer Amare Campbell, a four-star addition out of the portal who’s totaled 179 tackles, 20 TFLs and 9.5 sacks over the past two seasons.
That’s a loaded quartet for a defense that’s expected to run a 4-2-5 the majority of the time. And I haven’t even mentioned the presence of sophomores Jaedon Harmon (19 tackles) and Jadon Perlotte (19 tackles), both of whom were high-level contributors as four-star true freshmen a season ago.”
That kind of depth gives Tennessee a real luxury in the middle of the defense. Carter’s return was a major development, especially with his draft stock already pointing upward.
Spillman has been one of the quieter standouts on the roster, and he led all SEC freshmen last season with 80 tackles. Telander brings the same kind of production and reliability.
Behind them, Harmon and Perlotte give the Vols two more former four-star talents with real game experience.
Losing Coleman is still a hit, and Tennessee will need to find ways to get off the field more consistently on defense next season. That could mean a more aggressive approach and more blitzing than the Vols might otherwise prefer. But even with that loss, the middle of the defense looks like a strength - and maybe the kind of strength that can help Tennessee take a big step forward in 2026.
In Other News...
Another Lady Vols Staff Change Just Raised A Bigger Concern
Another piece of the Lady Vols offseason staff shuffle has now landed with a familiar face moving on. Roman Tubner, who spent the past two seasons as an assistant under Kim Caldwell, was not retained by Tennessee after the season and has since resurfaced elsewhere after previously coaching at Alabama under Kristy Curry. The Lady Vols also made other changes on the bench, bringing in Bill Ferrara and Isoken Uzamere to replace Tubner and Gabe Lazo.
For Tennessee, the bigger concern is not just turnover, but how often the program has had to reset around it. Tubners next stop adds another layer to that dynamic, especially with a transfer decision now tying him back into the same recruiting and roster conversations the Lady Vols are still navigating. Even after the staff changes were announced, the ripple effects of who left, who arrived and who followed are still being felt. [Read more 🡒]
George MacIntyre Just Made A Notable Step In Tennessee's QB Push
George MacIntyres offseason work has given Tennessee something tangible to point to as fall camp approaches. Under new strength coach Derek Owings, the quarterback has added weight and now sits at 208 pounds after arriving on campus much lighter, a sign the programs nutrition and daily weigh-in emphasis is already paying off.
The timing matters because MacIntyre is about to enter a real competition for the starting job, with Faizon Brandon and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub also in the mix. Tennessee set 210 pounds as the target for him, and he is close enough now that the next step is less about the scale and more about how he carries that added size when the pads come on. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessees 2026 Roster Already Looks Different Under New Strength Staff
Tennessees offseason roster update already offers a glimpse of how much can change when a new strength staff gets to work. After hiring Derek Owings, the highest-paid strength coach in college football, the Vols have seen returning players come back with noticeably different bodies, a sign that the program is pushing for a different kind of physical profile heading into 2026.
The changes are not all in one direction, either. Some players have added size and muscle, while others have trimmed down, including a few names across the defense and along the line. For Tennessee, the real intrigue is how those shifts will show up once camp opens and the roster starts to look less like a spreadsheet and more like a depth chart. [Read more 🡒]