Tennessee might not have had the best year on the field, but it is among the biggest winners off the field. Tennessee hired Penn State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, a marquee addition aimed at jump-starting a defense that slipped badly in 2025. It’s safe to say that the players sure are happy about the flashy hire.

Heupel already showed he’s willing to make major changes after Tennessee turned to graduate transfer Joey Aguilar at quarterback for the 2025 season, then followed it by making an aggressive defensive coordinator hire. Now, he’s hired arguably one of the best assistant coaches in the market. Jim Knowles brings his National Championship-winning expertise to a promising defense at Rocky Top, which needs some urgent repairs. Linebacker Jeremiah Telander summed up the reset like this:

“I told everybody we’re like freshmen again. We’ve got a clean slate.”

The reason behind that is Knowles’ commanding resume. He’s worked with the defensive stars in Ohio State who made the best defense in the country in 2024. Knowles also built a powerful defense for Oklahoma State, which turned into a sacking machine in 2021. Knowles is the kind of defensive coach many players want to play for, and Tennessee landing him is a major boost after the unit regressed sharply in 2025.

Tennessee’s defense took a major step back in 2025, a year after allowing just 16.1 points per game in 2024. This season, the Vols gave up 28.8 points per game, a swing that ultimately led to Tim Banks’ dismissal. Tennessee also developed a very alarming tackling issue, and the secondary was also equally bad, thanks to inexperience at the depth and being riddled with injuries. It’s an immensely sharp fall for the Vols, who gave up 248.8 passing yards per game this year. Last year, the number was at 189.3.

Jim Knowles sure does change things for Tennessee now. Knowles’ defenses are known for being “complicated,” as Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith put it during the season. He takes to the 4-2-5 structure, same as what Tim Banks deployed at Tennessee. But he doesn’t shy away from changing things up when needed. The only concern here is that it will take time. We’ve seen it happening in his stints with the Cowboys and Buckeyes. Knowles’ best units typically came after an install period. Oklahoma State’s defense peaked in his final season there, and his Ohio State defenses hit championship level by his third year with the Buckeyes. Thankfully, the locker room has already prepared itself for the new change.

Knowles will get to start from scratch next season, while William Inge will step in as interim DC for the Music City Bowl. That last game will also be a major one for the star of Joey Aguilar, who is preparing to wrap up his career with it.

Joey Aguilar will play in the Music City Bowl

Joey Aguilar’s future sits in a delicate position as of now. Per the existing NCAA rules, he has exhausted his eligibility. However, he’s hoping for the organization to announce a positive verdict in the pending case about the eligibility of players who have played JUCO in the past. Tennessee might be looking at other options for QB, like Jake Merklinger and George McIntyre. And, Heupel will welcome Faizon Brandon from the 2026 class. Aguilar will likely have to tap out next year, but he’s looking to close his career on a grand note.

“It’s a game, and I’m blessed to go out and play it one more time,” Aguilar said at a press conference on December 17. “If it’s my last game or not, I’m excited to go out there with this team one more time. Grateful for the coaches and program, and the community for accepting me this year. Just one more time to go out there and show out.”

The Music City Bowl will be a brilliant end to an equally commendable career for the QB. With this game, Aguilar will be stepping off as a talented P4 starter, after having begun his career at far lower ranks. He has had his fair share of problems this season, which will force him to go as a late pick in the draft or fall out of it altogether. But Joey Aguilar, in just one season, has become Tennessee lore – he stabilized an extremely fragile situation at QB in an extremely short time. He also leads the SEC with 3,444 passing yards and has an impressive haul of 24 TDs.

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On one hand, Tennessee made one of the best hires of the season by getting Jim Knowles on board. And on the other hand, the Vols are preparing for one last dance with their beloved QB1. This sure is an interesting time in Knoxville.