A Penn State transfer turning into one of the best players for Tennessee this season? Had this been brought up four months ago, everyone would have assumed Chaz Coleman was the topic of conversation. That's not the case, though, as defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam has become a complete and total superstar in Knoxville.
The 6-2, 305-pounder has become a total force in the trenches for the Vols, making countless eye-popping plays for Josh Heupel and new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Gilliam has impressed so much that even the one and only Mel Kiper Jr. has taken notice.
In his latest NFL Draft board rankings, Kiper understandably has Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at No. 1 on his list. In the Top 10, however, a major surprise is that Gilliam is checking in at No. 6. Whoa. The Vol is right behind Colin Simmons at No. 5 and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss at No. 7.
Tennessee DT Xavier Gilliam has skyrocketed up Mel Kiper Jr.'s NFL Draft rankings
"No player in college football has improved his draft stock more since the start of the season than Gilliam, starting with a three-sack outing against Furman to begin the campaign," Kiper wrote in his latest piece. "He has been terrific in his first season with the Vols after following defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and transferring from Penn State. He is incredibly quick and explosive at the snap, and he generates a ton of interior pressure as a result. For a defensive tackle to go early in the draft, he must be consistently disruptive. Gilliam checks that box.
Keep in mind, too, that Gilliam was previously unranked on Kiper's big board, and now he's at No. 6 - talk about remarkable. This season, the junior DT has been a joy to watch, with his 25 tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles being downright electric for this stout Vols defense.
Gilliam joining forces with Knowles in Knoxville has been a lot of fun to witness, too. Admittedly, I wasn't expecting Gilliam to blow up like this. However, he has proven to be among Tennessee's biggest gets from the transfer portal last offseason, with his play certainly exceeding the hype. More of the same will need to be on display this weekend.
Kentucky's offense under Will Stein has done a total 180 this fall, which means the Vols will have to be at their best to slow down Kenny Minchey. The quarterback is turning heads left and right, but everything could look quite different for him with Knowles drawing up certain schemes to rattle him at Neyland Stadium come Saturday.
In order for that to happen, the guys up front are going to have to live in the backfield, breathing down Minchey's neck throughout this highly anticipated SEC clash. And it goes without saying, but Gilliam will have to be a major piece of the puzzle there. He's been a monster going up against offensive linemen, which should spell trouble for the Wildcats in primetime. If Gilliam keeps this up, he'll have the Vols in a position to sneak into the CFP, while also continuing to raise his draft stock.
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