The Tennessee Vols haven't been on many folks' radars this offseason. With plenty of roster turnover and an unsettled quarterback battle, the Vols have the looks of a big question mark for the 2026 season amid what should be a wide open and entertaining SEC.
However, the Vols had quite the makeover on the defensive side of the ball going back to December of last year. Tim Banks was fired, and Jim Knowles was brought down from Penn State. Knowles brought a number of his former Nittany Lions players with him to Knoxville with him, and that included three noteworthy defenders in EDGE Chaz Coleman, LB Amare Campbell, and S Dejuan Lane.
Well, Coleman is gone, as all Tennessee fans know, but Campbell should have a strong impact in the middle this season. And it's in the middle where CBS Sports' Chris Hummer thinks the Vols have the best group in the entire country.
Hummer listed the best group nationally at each position, and the Vols' linebackers got the nod.
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.
However, the Vols had quite the makeover on the defensive side of the ball going back to December of last year. Tim Banks was fired, and Jim Knowles was brought down from Penn State. Knowles brought a number of his former Nittany Lions players with him to Knoxville with him, and that included three noteworthy defenders in EDGE Chaz Coleman, LB Amare Campbell, and S Dejuan Lane.
Well, Coleman is gone, as all Tennessee fans know, but Campbell should have a strong impact in the middle this season. And it's in the middle where CBS Sports' Chris Hummer thinks the Vols have the best group in the entire country.
Hummer listed the best group nationally at each position, and the Vols' linebackers got the nod.
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.
4 months ago
