Tennessee’s defense is going to have a different look this season, and one of the new faces up front is already making plenty of noise in practice.
Xavier Gilliam, the transfer defensive tackle who followed Jim Knowles from Penn State, is in position to play a heavy role for the Volunteers. His name has come up repeatedly from teammates and coaches during both spring and fall camp, and this week offensive guard Sham Umarov added his own view from the other side of the line.
“The battles have been really good,” Umarov said. “We have a couple new guys, like I’d say (Xavier Gilliam) X has been really dominating.
He’s been doing really good. Fast hand strike, low pads.
He’s been helping me and a bunch of our other guys play lower and play faster.”
That kind of praise matters, especially coming from an offensive lineman who has to deal with him every day.
Rodney Garner has noticed it too. The veteran defensive line coach said Gilliam, along with Tulane edge rusher transfer Jordan Norman, has been one of the most consistent presences on Tennessee’s front.
“I think it’s all encompassing,” Garner said about Gilliam. “Obviously, I think he’s a great young man.
He’s smart. Obviously, you can tell with his body build and all that, so he has a natural leverage.
I think he wants to be coached. I think he wants to be good, and obviously, him being a transfer, both of those young men (Gilliam and Norman) being a transfer anyway, they’re just getting here.
They’ve got to become vocal and become more leaders. That’s the one thing that you know I would say, the room right now, just developing consistent leaders.
Guys that are willing to call each other out. Guys that are willing to hold each other accountable.”
For Tennessee, that kind of development matters. The biggest questions on defense sit along the line, especially when it comes to generating a pass rush. Edge play will have a say in that, but Gilliam appears to be causing problems on the interior already.
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