How about them Vols? If you're still riding high over Tennessee taking down Alabama at Neyland Stadium 26-10, you're not alone. While DeSean Bishop is still getting praise for his two-touchdown showing, no one has forgotten about the performance on defense - it was spectacular.
Among the standouts was defensive back Dejuan Lane, who recorded five tackles, one interception, and a fumble recovery. Lane, who transferred in from Penn State, is quite familiar with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who also made the move to Knoxville from Happy Valley. Right after the win, Lane didn't hold back with his thoughts on how special the defense has looked. Is he wrong here? Not at all.
"We're the best in the nation," a fired-up Lane said. "We're right back at it next week. You can doubt us - go ahead and count us out. We're just going to show y'all every single time. Y'all know what it is, best defense in the nation. Best defense in the nation, I'm telling y'all."
Tennessee safety Dejuan Lane:
— Vol Scoops (@VolScoops) October 18, 2026
“We’re the best in the nation, We right back at it next week.. yall can doubt us, go ahead and count us out, because we are just gonna show y’all ever single time.. The BEST Defense in the nation”
The Jobs not finished for this team.. 👀🍊 pic.twitter.com/7r6hpJJ6rz
Dejuan Lane has become an impact player for Tennessee and Josh Heupel
Thus far this season, Tennessee leads the nation in sacks (30), is third in defensive efficiency, third in tackles for loss, eighth in pass defense, ninth in scoring defense, No. 1 in havoc rate, and more. Going from Tim Banks to Knowles? With the greatest respect for Banks, it's been like trading in a 1997 Chevy Lumina for a 2026 Mercedes.
And Lane has been a big part of that. On top of that, to make things worse for the Nittany Lions, transfer Xavier Gilliam has also exploded up front, easily playing like one of the best defensive tackles in the country. In its midseason All-America list, Gilliam was honored by On3, which is incredible to see. It's also well deserved.
Of note, Bishop also made the cut there, as the running back has 837 yards and 10 touchdowns to his name. Goodness. Back to defense, though, Knowles' group has come up clutch for the Vols and Heupel time and time again this campaign. This has been monstrous, especially with the uncertainty at quarterback each week.
How good is Jim Knowles' defense at Tennessee right now? No. 1 in havoc rate and No. 4 in explosive play rate allowed.
— Josh Yourish (@JYourish3) October 20, 2026
You'll notice there isn't much correlation to this chart because it's ridiculously hard to create that much havoc and not be a boom-or-bust unit pic.twitter.com/dXczpfnpA2
George MacIntyre is QB1 for now, but his play, along with Faizon Brandon's, has been a bit up and down. Nothing could be better for a young quarterback than having a ground game to take some pressure off, but also a stout defense that keeps opposing quarterbacks and running backs in check. That's what was showcased in the win over Alabama, as the Tennessee D as a whole was flying to the ball.
It was also the case in the close win over Arkansas on the road, plus the too-close-for-comfort win against Auburn the week prior. With the Vols at 6-1 on the year, this defense is a major reason why Vols supporters can already start thinking about the College Football Playoff.
Come this Saturday, UT will look to keep LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina in check, which won't be easy. With the way the unit is playing, however, no one should be surprised if the Vols take care of business, with the defense leading the way, and improve to 7-1 heading into the bye week. Should that happen, Knowles, Lane, and everyone else on that side of the ball will only enter the late stretch of the fall with even more confidence than they have right now.
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