Why Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner isn’t at spring practice

Tennessee football kicked off spring practice without a key member of its team on the field: veteran defensive line coach Rodney Garner.

UT confirmed to Knox News that Garner had a “planned medical procedure” that will keep him sidelined for an undetermined period of time.

New edge rushers coach AJ Jackson is filling in for Garner at practice. Defensive analysts Lorenzo Neal Jr. and Nick Brautigam are assisting Jackson. Garner is still fulfilling some coaching duties off the field during his recovery.

“(Garner) had a planned medical procedure and has not been medically cleared to be at practice,” UT spokesman Bill Martin said. “He’s been participating in some meetings. We wish him a speedy recovery, and he will get back out here as soon as he can.”

Garner is regarded as one of college football’s best assistant coaches. He has produced 36 NFL draft picks in his 36-year SEC coaching career at Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee, and that list will grow in the upcoming draft.

Despite turning over most of UT’s defensive coaching staff, new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles retained Garner because of his immense respect for the veteran coach. UT gave Garner a raise and a two-year contract extension, which pays him $1 million annually through January 2028.

“Rodney Garner is a legend when it comes to coaching D-line, an SEC legend,” Knowles said. “He coaches his players very hard, but he loves them right after that. That’s a unique combination.”

Why Tennessee could feel Rodney Garner’s absence in spring

Garner’s absence may seem like a minor hiccup, especially if he returns to the field during spring practice. But UT needs his presence as soon as possible during a pivotal offseason for the revamped defensive line.

Tennessee lost seven of its top defensive linemen from last season’s team. Bryson Eason, Jaxson Moi, Dominic Bailey, Tyre West and Joshua Josephs exhausted their eligibility and declared for the NFL draft. Jordan Ross (LSU) and Caleb Herring (South Carolina) transferred.

The Vols are relying on role players and transfers to step into key spots.

Daevin Hobbs, Tyree Weathersby and Nathan Robinson will compete for starting positions. Isaiah Campbell, Ethan Utley and Mariyon Dye return after contributing as freshmen. And UT added defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam (Penn State) and edge rushers Chaz Coleman (Penn State) and Jordan Norman (Tulane) from the transfer portal.

Who’s filling in for Rodney Garner in spring practice?

Tennessee has not determined when Garner will return to the practice field. Jackson, Neal and Brautigam will fill in until then.

In 2025, Jackson was Penn State’s assistant defensive line coach under Knowles. Before that, Jackson was the defensive line coach at Fordham (2017), Old Dominion (2020) and West Virginia (2021-24). He was a defensive quality control coach at Mississippi State (2018) and defensive tackles coach at James Madison (2019).

Neal is the son of Lorenzo Neal Sr., the former NFL All-Pro fullback. The younger Neal was a standout defensive lineman at Purdue and former NFL player. He coached last season at Chadron State College, a Division II school.

Brautigam was a standout safety at Cornell. He previously served as a defensive quality control coach at the University of Washington.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing atknoxnews.com/subscribe.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Rodney Garner, Tennessee defensive line coach, not at spring practice