Tennessee's Defense Just Gave Us A BIG Reason To Be Excited...

The Tennessee Vols' defense may be much better than expected in 2026. Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break down Tennessee's defensive performance against Furman, Xavier Gilliam's dominant three-sack performance, the emergence of the defensive line and what it could mean for the Vols heading into Saturday night's matchup with Georgia Tech. Yes, it was Furman. But there were still plenty of encouraging signs. Xavier Gilliam was the biggest standout, recording three sacks and constantly creating disruption up front. After entering the season with questions surrounding Tennessee's edge-rushing situation, Gilliam's performance provides another potential answer for the Vols' defensive front. Tyree Weathersby also made an immediate impact, while the hosts discuss how much more Tennessee's defense could have in the tank once Arion Carter returns from his suspension. The Vols also received strong performances from transfer defenders Amare Campbell and others, while several young defensive players showed enough to create optimism about Tennessee's depth. But the real test comes against Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets struggled to run the football against Colorado, which could create an opportunity for Tennessee's defense to dictate the game. Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza was one of the team's best players in Week 1, meaning Tennessee's secondary could face a much tougher test than it did against Furman. Charlie and Zach discuss whether Georgia Tech will lean more heavily on Mendoza through the air, how Jim Knowles could attack the Yellow Jackets and why Tennessee's defense may be able to control the game if it stops Georgia Tech's rushing attack. The guys also react to LSU's blowout win over Clemson, Ole Miss' close call against Louisville and the state of the SEC and ACC after a wild opening weekend of college football. How good can Tennessee's defense actually be? Was Xavier Gilliam's three-sack performance a sign of things to come? And can the Vols' defense shut down Georgia Tech? Charlie Burris and Zach Ragan break it all down on the latest Big Orange Podcast. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Tennessee for Tennessee Volunteers football news, analysis, recruiting updates, game reactions and Big Orange Podcast episodes throughout the 2026 season. 00:00 Tennessee's defense looked GOOD 01:00 Xavier Gilliam's three-sack performance 02:30 Tyree Weathersby sets the tone 03:30 Tennessee's defensive line depth 04:00 Arion Carter's return 04:30 Amari Campbell and Ty'Landre Henderson 05:30 Tennessee's young defenders 07:00 Georgia Tech will be a bigger test 08:00 Can Georgia Tech run the football? 09:00 Jim Knowles vs. Georgia Tech 10:00 LSU destroys Clemson 11:30 Ole Miss nearly loses to Louisville 12:30 The SEC is a dumpster fire 13:30 What Clemson's future looks like 15:30 Looking ahead to Georgia Tech #TennesseeVols #TennesseeFootball #Vols #XavierGilliam #CollegeFootball Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games For more VOLS coverage: https://atozsports.com/nashville/volunteers/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/volforlifetn Twitter: https://x.com/BigOrangePod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsvols TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsvols