It was never thought back in December that Chaz Coleman wouldn’t be on Tennessee’s roster by June, but here we are, and the Vols have to pivot quickly to find an answer off the edge.
Jordan Norman, an edge rusher who posted six sacks last season, should be a solid replacement for Coleman. However, behind Norman, Tennessee has a depth issue. There are plenty of bodies at the position, but very little proven production. Josh Heupel and Jim Knowles have a significant challenge on their hands, especially if the defensive line runs into injury problems this fall.
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College football insider Chris Low was on the Rocky Top Insiders Low-Down podcast and agreed that the Vols needed to find an answer soon. Low said, "You've got to have some younger guys, some different guys step up. That puts pressure on guys to be bigger producers than maybe you thought they were going to have to be."
"You've got to have some younger guys, some different guys step up. That puts pressure on guys to be bigger producers than maybe you thought they were going to have to be."@CLowFB details the fallout of the Chaz Coleman situation on The RTI Low-Down | @TheHoundBB pic.twitter.com/g7QFYhmYsz
— Rocky Top Insider (@rockytopinsider) June 29, 2026
Tennessee has only two months to find an answer
The most important part about Norman’s development is that Week 1 is only two months away. Tennessee doesn’t have the luxury of a full offseason to get a player ready for what should be a prominent role at LEO.
Tyree Weathersby is expected to start on one side, while Norman will likely start at LEO. Behind them, however, there isn’t much proven depth.
Tennesse does have one really intriguing name on the roster right now. Top-100 four-star freshman TJ White, a 6-foot-2, 240-pounder, could be a player who moves up and plays LEO. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Mississippi and one of the best pass rushers in the nation coming out of high school. He has the short-area quickness and ability to bend around the corner to make a play the quarterback.
It would be wise for Tennessee to get White some reps off the edge and see what he can do. While he isn’t the biggest player, he has already flashed his potential, and Tennessee needs to find answers however it can.
If White can leverage his quick twitch and speed, it could also help Xavier Gilliam and Weathersby, who are more power-oriented pass rushers. If Tennessee can utilize a mix of speed and power, it should help generate more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Knowles is no stranger to using stunts and creative pressure packages, and he can take advantage of the different body types along the defensive line.
6-foot-4, 250-pound freshman defensive lineman Zach Groves could also be a player who steps up for the Vols. Groves was a productive high school player who is another strong, explosive athlete. He looks physically ready, but making the jump from high school to college on the defensive line is very difficult. The Vols have some intriguing options, and Knowles needs one to step up.
Lookign ahead, Tennesse should havea much improved defese this ball, but how the defensive line performs will be the differance between solid impropvemnt and major improvement.
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