​The Tennessee Volunteers have flown under the radar this offseason, with a heavy turnover on the roster and an unsettled quarterback competition that has left many wondering what 2026 might hold for the program. It shapes up to be a wide‑open, highly entertaining SEC year, and Tennessee fans are hoping the defense can provide a steadying force as the league intensifies.
A major facelift on the defensive side began last December when Tim Banks was dismissed and Jim Knowles came aboard from Penn State. Knowles brought with him a host of Nittany Lions to Knoxville, including three notable defenders who were expected to make an immediate impact: EDGE Chaz Coleman, LB Amare Campbell, and S Dejuan Lane. Coleman is no longer with the Volunteers, a fact familiar to every Tennessee supporter. However, Campbell’s return to middle-of-the-field play should be pivotal this season, and that emphasis on the middle is exactly where CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer believes the Vols can boast the nation’s best unit.
In his national roll call of top groups by position, Hummer singled out Tennessee’s linebackers as the standout corps. The Volunteers boast what many would call the deepest linebacker unit in the country. Last season, Edwin Spillman (81 tackles) and Jeremiah Telander (80 tackles) led Tennessee in stops and are back for 2026. Yet there’s a strong likelihood that neither will start, given the presence of Arion Carter—an anticipated pro prospect who elected to return to college after an injury—and Amare Campbell, the four-star transfer from Penn State who has already accumulated 179 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks across the last two seasons.
That quartet—Carter, Campbell, Spillman, and Telander—forms the backbone of a defense that is expected to lean into a 4-2-5 base alignment for most of the year. And the depth doesn’t stop there. Sophomores Jaedon Harmon and Jadon Perlotte, who flashed as four-star true freshmen a season ago and combined for 38 tackles between them, add even more dynamic potential. Harmon contributed 19 tackles last season, and Perlotte added 19, underscoring the immediate impact capable from the younger performers.
This depth provides Tennessee with a remarkable problem in a good way: how to maximize a veteran core while integrating the newcomers who can push for playing time. The return of Arion Carter is especially significant, given his potential to be drafted next year and the possibility of a standout “swan song” season for the Vols in the fall. Spillman’s emergence as one of the SEC’s most underappreciated players—the leader among SEC freshmen in tackles last year with 80—adds a quiet, steady tone to the lineup. Telander, a true tackling machine, complements the front seven with a relentless pursuit and consistency that has become a hallmark of his play.
With Campbell joining forces with the experienced pair in Spillman and Telander, and with Carter anchoring the middle as a potential all-conference presence when healthy, Tennessee’s linebacking corps looks like a core strength for 2026. The presence of Harmon and Perlotte as maturing second‑level contributors provides a twofold benefit: high ceiling talent and valuable depth that will keep the unit fresh across the grind of a demanding SEC schedule.
There are, of course, factors to watch beyond the polished depth chart. Losing Coleman does leave a void on the edge in terms of pass rush, and the defense will likely be asked to play more aggressively and mix in blitz packages to compensate for the missing veteran presence on the perimeter. How Knowles balances scheme with personnel will determine how disruptive the front seven can be. Tennessee’s plan to lean on a stout, middle-heavy backbone could pay dividends as the defense aims to be far more effective than in recent seasons.
Bottom line: the Vols enter 2026 with a surprisingly robust and experienced linebacker group that’s capable of anchoring a more formidable defense. Campbell’s mid-season impact, combined with the steady leadership of Spillman and Telander and the upward trajectory of Harmon and Perlotte, gives Tennessee a strong chance to field a middle of the field that’s both physical and versatile. While Coleman’s departure creates some blanks on the edges, the sum of the parts suggests a defense that could be markedly better than it has been lately. If Knowles can optimize the personnel and generate enough pressure, Tennessee could transform its 2026 outlook into a stronger, more competitive campaign and finally deliver the sort of defensive backbone fans have hoped to see as they anticipate a more exciting, potential‑rich SEC landscape.