Now this is what we're talking about. Earlier in the week, news arrived that the Tennessee Vols and Josh Heupel were in the driver's seat to potentially land Penn State transfer defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam. However, Notre Dame and Indiana were still pushing hard.
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In some rough news for Marcus Freeman and Curt Cignetti, though, Gilliam has made up his mind and he's going to take his talents to the SEC. Moments ago, it was confirmed that Gilliam has officially committed to Tennessee and he'll be ready to ball out for Heupel and Jim Knowles in 2026:
BREAKING: Penn State transfer DL Xavier Gilliam has Committed to Tennessee, his agent tells @On3Sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 9, 2026
The 6’3 300 DL totaled 16 tackles, 1 FF, and 0.5 sack this season (11 games)
He’ll have 3 years of eligibility lefthttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/EZpDSijpgP
Penn State transfer Xavier Gilliam has committed to Tennessee and Josh Heupel
It's safe to say that thus far, this is the biggest portal commitment for the Vols. It comes at a major position of need and the fact that Gilliam was such a highly-touted prospect makes things even better for the staff.
Give some credit to Knowles for helping out too. Before making the move to Tennessee, Knowles was previously the defensive coordinator at Penn State, coaching up Gilliam this season. Now that he's with the Vols, Knowles is making an impact with recruiting and Gilliam isn't the only top target on his radar.
Former Penn State pass-rusher Chaz Coleman is also a transfer high on the board for Tennessee. Coleman also took a recent official visit and there's plenty of hope that UT will be able to win this huge recruiting battle for him. However, Ohio State, LSU and others are working their magic as well.
Regardless of how things go down there, getting Gilliam on board is something that people in Knoxville are going to be celebrating for quite some time. He's expected to be a key part of the defense next season and he'll be ready to live up to the hype too.