Jim Knowles and the Tennessee defense set to suffer a major NFL Draft blow

There's still plenty of excitement for Tennessee fans with Jim Knowles taking over the Vols defense moving forward. However, the veteran defensive coordinator is going to have his hands full in getting things figured out for the secondary.

Tennessee football has a secret weapon in trying to land the nation's No. 1 transfer

First, cornerback Jermod McCoy, a projected first-round pick, announced he was leaving for the NFL Draft. Is fellow cornerback Colton Hood going to follow suit and leave school early? That looks like it's going to be the case, as Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports has reported the standout CB is expected to say goodbye to Knoxville soon:

Tennessee CB Colton Hood is expected to enter the NFL Draft

Hood made the move to Tennessee last offseason, joining the program after leaving Deion Sanders and Colorado. It didn't take long for Hood to make a huge difference for the Vols, with his touchdown against Syracuse being something that had people fired up.

He was consistently solid for Tim Banks and the Tennessee defense. At one point, he was viewed as a first-round pick too. He could still sneak into the first round depending on how things go for him at the NFL Combine, but he'll likely at minimum be a second-round pick.

While there's excitement for Hood and him chasing his NFL dreams, this is a big blow for the Vols defense in 2026. With McCoy out due to his torn ACL, Hood immediately stepped in and he was a vocal leader for the CBs room and the defense as a whole.

The campaign didn't go according to plan for the Vols, with an 8-4 record being posted. There was no return to the College Football Playoff, but getting back to the CFP is obviously something Josh Heupel is going to be working towards for 2026. In order for that to happen, Tennessee will have to overcome losing the big-name players from '25 who won't be back. Right now, all signs are pointing to Hood being on that list.