Cole Cubelic doesn’t toss around praise like this lightly, which is exactly why his latest take on Xavier Gilliam turned heads fast around Tennessee.
On a recent episode of the Cube Show podcast, the SEC Network analyst flat-out labeled the Vols’ defensive lineman “the best defensive player in college football” through the first six games of the season.
“I don’t say this lightly, but I’m going to say it,” Cubelic said. “Xavier Gilliam is the best defensive player in college football.
I say that because I believe it. I don’t need to hype Tennessee, I don’t need anybody else telling me yay I said it.
Whatever. Like, give me the other guy that is consistently wrecking shop like (Gilliam) is.
And (Oklahoma DL) David Stone is awesome. (Oklahoma LB) Kip Lewis is great.
(Texas DL) Colin Simmons is incredible. But I’m just telling you right now, I don’t know another player in the nation that gets after people’s asses as often and to the extent that Xavier Gilliam does.”
Gilliam arrived from Penn State this offseason with the expectation he’d be a strong piece up front. Instead, he’s become the engine of Tennessee’s defense. He leads the Vols with five sacks and has added two forced fumbles, one forced fumble, 21 tackles, and one pass deflection this year.
His impact showed again early in last weekend’s game against Arkansas. Gilliam hit Razorbacks quarterback KJ Jackson for a strip-sack, then showed the burst to get back up and recover the loose ball himself.
one-man wrecking crew 😤
📺 SEC Network
- Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) October 10, 2026
Tennessee co-DC Anthony Poindexter pointed to Gilliam’s growth and maturity on Tuesday.
“Well, probably just, I mean, he’s been on the grass,” Tennessee co-DC Anthony Poindexter said on Tuesday. “He played two years for us at Penn State.
Now he’s in his third year, you can just see the maturity, the growth, the strength. He understands football, he understands the system and he’s playing phenomenal right now.”
The challenge for opposing offenses has become obvious. Gilliam is drawing double teams regularly and even getting tripled at times, but that extra attention is opening lanes for Tennessee’s other rushers. That collective pressure is a big reason the Vols lead the nation in team sacks.
Josh Heupel praised Gilliam after the Arkansas game, too.
“Smart, tough, relentless competitor, loves ball,” Josh Heupel said of Gilliam after the Arkansas game. “He’s the same dude every day in the meeting room on the practice field that parlays itself into playing consistently on game day, too.
And he’s been playing extremely well. Holistically as an entire D-line, those guys are doing a really good job of, for the most part, controlling the line of scrimmage, affecting the quarterback, and playing well off of each other within the scope of the scheme.
Proud of that group.”
Gilliam has been the tone-setter for that group all season. When he’s singled up, he’s beating blockers.
When offenses commit extra bodies to him, somebody else in orange gets a cleaner path to the quarterback. If Tennessee is going to keep building toward the College Football Playoffs, that kind of havoc has to keep coming.
No. 14 Tennessee (5-1) will host No.
6 Alabama (5-1) on Saturday in a Top 15 Third Saturday in October matchup at 3:30 p.m. ET in Neyland Stadium.
In Other News...
Tennessee's Alabama Quarterback Decision Suddenly Feels A Lot More Urgent
Tennessee heads into its rivalry matchup with Alabama still sorting out its most important position. Faizon Brandon opened the season as the starter, but George MacIntyre got the nod next and made a strong first impression in the win over Arkansas, giving Josh Heupel something real to weigh as the stakes rise.
Heupel has not said who will start against Alabama, and that silence has only sharpened the attention around the decision. A film analyst has already made the case for MacIntyre to keep the job based on what he showed against Arkansas, but with Alabama next on the schedule, Tennessee does not have much time left to settle on its answer. [Read more 🡒]
Peyton Manning Just Gave Tennessee Fans A New Reason To Love Alabama Week
Peyton Manning has found a fresh way to lean into one of college footballs loudest rivalries. Ahead of the upcoming Tennessee-Alabama game, the former Vols quarterback teamed up with country singer Riley Green on a new song built around the matchup, giving fans another bit of hype to carry into Alabama week.
The project goes beyond a quick cameo, too, with Manning involved throughout the track rather than just popping in for a spoken line. For Tennessee fans, it is the kind of crossover that fits the moment: a familiar face, a rivalry game and a new tune aimed squarely at the buildup before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fighting To Keep Key Receiver Commit From SEC Push
Tennessees 2027 receiver group already has some real juice with five-star David Gabriel-Georges and four-star wideout Kesean Bowman committed, but the Vols are now having to defend that class a little earlier than they might have expected. Bowman remains pledged to Tennessee, yet reports say Ole Miss is pushing hard to change that, and it is the kind of SEC recruiting battle that can tighten up quickly when a talented pass catcher starts drawing more attention.
What makes the situation worth watching is the cast around Bowman, including his high school quarterback Crew Jenkins and Ole Miss commits who are part of the effort to sway him. Tennessee has held onto the commitment for now, but with Early National Signing Day still ahead, this is one of those recruiting stories that could keep developing before the Vols get to lock everything in. [Read more 🡒]