Outside of the poor showing against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff (hey, Oregon looked bad too!), the defense for the Tennessee football team was pretty electric this year. As everyone knows, defensive coordinator Tim Banks deserves a lot of credit for that.
Banks has been a stud with Tennessee, but could his days in Knoxville be numbered? In recent days, it has been reported that Banks is a candidate to take over Miami's defense for head man Mario Cristobal. However, a new report claims that Clemson is expected to offer Banks its DC job with Wes Goodwin on his way out. Will Josh Heupel end up losing one of his top assistants?
Source: Wes Goodwin will no longer be Clemson’s defensive coordinator. Tennessee DC Tim Banks frontrunner to be offered the job.
— Scott Hamilton (@ScottHamiltonPC) January 2, 2025
Tim Banks is reportedly a candidate for the Clemson defensive coordinator job
You'd think Banks would want to stay with the Vols, especially after the team reached the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. However, if Cristobal and Dabo Swinney put offers on the table, it's going to give him something to think about.
This is obviously something Heupel is hoping won't happen. There's already been enough turnover on his roster - losing a veteran, key coach like this right now would hurt. Everyone has been so focused on bringing back Mike Matthews that it's easy to forget that staff members are also getting looks as well.
Again, the Tennessee defense was sharp in 2024, with plenty of playmakers stepping up in a massive way for Banks. Soon enough, we should know more about what the future has in store for Banks. Will he stay in Knoxville for one more season, or pack his bags and head to either Clemson or Miami? The hope is that Heupel keeps him around for 2025, but nothing is known for sure there with Banks.