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Tennessee's 2026 Defense Will Test Jim Knowles' Creativity | Rocky Top Insider Tennessee football's 2026 defense and its limitations will test first-year defensive coordinator Jim Knowles' creativity. www.rockytopinsider.com The Vols could also use more 3-3-5 packages then they have in the past. It would help mitigate the lack of defensive line depth while helping Knowles get his best defenders on the field. With defenses usually matching offensive personnel, people don’t often talk about getting the best 11 defenders on the field. However, Knowles clearly does and wants the defense to dictate the game on their own terms. “Linebacker room is deep,” Knowles said. “So Two, three, four linebackers is part of the plan. Now we have to see who develops as our best 11, who’s the best 15, who’s the best 22. And we’re going to play the guys that are the best players. And it’s my job to get them in positions where they can succeed.”