Now that spring practice is here, Tennessee Vols football fans can finally get a taste of what the new defense looks like under Jim Knowles. Fans all off-season wanted former defensive coordinator Tim Banks fired, and it took a while, but Josh Heupel made the change and brought in Knowles, arguably the best in the business.
Josh Heupel wastes no time addressing the Tennessee starting QB timeline
Heupel was asked about how the defense has responded to the new defensive coordinator, Jim Knowles, and he said:
“The little work that we got in the winter, I thought they did a really good job. I think Coach Knowles, with some of his staff that has background with them, subtly how they’ve been able to tweak some of the things as far as how they install it. I thought our guys have picked up on it really quickly. Again as we continue to go through spring ball, we’ll have a better idea of where they’re at.”
This is a very good sign that the defense has already made some improvements in Heupel's eyes. The Knowles hire was a grand slam, but the one small knock on it was that his defenses take a while for them to fully mesh and succeed. It looks like Tennessee is likely ahead of schedule in this department. As spring practices continue to go on, there should be even more improvement from the unit.
How Jim Knowles' defense is adapting so fast
One of the biggest reasons the defense appears to be progressing quickly is built-in familiarity with the system. With Chaz Coleman, Dejuan Lane, Xavier Gilliam, and Amare Campbell all coming over from Penn State after playing under Jim Knowles, Tennessee effectively has multiple players who already understand the scheme at a high level. On top of that, they play different positions, which only helps the system come together faster.
There’s plenty of reason to be excited about where this defense could be heading next fall. After an abysmal performance last season, the Vols have a real chance to take a significant step forward. The linebacker room and secondary look like strengths, and the defensive line has plenty of upside. For now, it's early, but it's a great sign to see the defense making progress and being ahead of schedule.