Tennessee Volunteers head coach Josh Heupel entered the offseason with a clear agenda: reshape the staff and bolster the roster.
A Defensive Overhaul
The first major move was the appointment of Jim Knowles as defensive coordinator and Derek Owings as strength coach, a pairing that signals a shift toward a more aggressive front seven.
Heupel also made the unprecedented decision to part ways with several assistant coaches, a clean‑house effort that opened space for new faces.
The transfer portal brought a blend of promise and disappointment. Linebacker Amare Campbell and defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam arrived as high‑impact additions, while the highly touted edge rusher Chaz Coleman proved to be a complete miss.
Retention proved to be a strong suit; key contributors were coaxed back through NIL negotiations, and the program secured the commitment of five‑star running back David Gabriel Georges, who chose Tennessee over Ohio State.
Recruiting rankings reflect the mixed results: the transfer class sits 26th nationally in average player rating, yet the overall roster holds a 20th‑place composite score per the 247Sports Composite.
Despite these positives, the Volunteers face a significant hurdle: quarterback Joey Aguilar’s departure to the NCAA after a court ruling leaves a void at the game‑changing position.
Coach Heupel remains confident that the blend of new staff, strategic additions, and retained talent will translate into a season where the positives outweigh the setbacks.