Jim Knowles compares defensive install to other first-year assignments
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Jim Knowles enters his first season as Tennessee's defensive coordinator in 2026. The Vols will kick off fall training camp on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Knowles met with media ahead of Tennessee's first practice. The first-year defensive coordinator discussed installing his scheme and where he feels his unit stands ahead of practice No. 1 in fall camp.
"It's always a process, but I thought that we made more strides this spring and summer than any of my first year assignments, because I was able to bring in staff who understand the system, really at all levels of the football, so I thought we got a lot done," Knowles said. "We are going to continue to move it forward in camp, but right now, going into camp about 70 percent or so of everything has already been put in. We just need to keep bumping that during camp, and I think we have the players who now really understand the system that we can tweak it.
"We haven't been in the game plan yet. I don't game plan against the offense, so it's all just teaching the different concepts and then we can mix and match them – which kind of increases the percentages as we go."
Knowles was Penn State's defensive coordinator in 2025 after serving in the same capacity at Ohio State from 2022-24.
Follow Vols Wire on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Jim Knowles compares defensive install to other first-year assignments
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos