Former Vols DB Jaylen McCollough drops quote about Tennessee that every defensive recruit in the nation needs to hear
Former Tennessee Vols defensive back Jaylen McCollough proved to be one of the biggest steals in the NFL last season. McCollough was signed by the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent after the former Vol wasn’t selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Georgia native faced an uphill climb to make the Rams’ […]
Former Tennessee Vols defensive back Jaylen McCollough proved to be one of the biggest steals in the NFL last season.
McCollough was signed by the Los Angeles Rams as an undrafted free agent after the former Vol wasn’t selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Georgia native faced an uphill climb to make the Rams’ 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie.
McCollough, however, not only made the Rams’ 53-man roster, but he ended up becoming a key player for Los Angeles, playing in all 17 games while totaling 43 tackles and four interceptions (including a pick six).
McCollough credited the time he spent in Tim Banks’ defensive scheme at Tennessee as one of the reasons he was able to make an instant impact with the Rams.
“The scheme I played in in college, it’s kind of a similar scheme (to what the Rams run), so it just felt right,” explained McCollough on the Rams’ YouTube channel.
“I always knew I could play at the highest stage — even when I was a kid. I always knew my talents and abilities. And it was just putting the work in, day in and day out. And then in my senior year, everything really started to click. And I played my best ball my senior year. And in the preseason (with the Rams), everything felt right. I was able to understand the scheme and figure out how things are supposed to flow, as far as the defense. Everything just felt right.
“Talking to my defensive coordinator at Tennessee, his name is Tim Banks,” continued McCollough. “He would always preach, ‘Be a pro before you’re a pro’. And I think that was just the approach going into my senior year, I just just attacked it as a pro. And those habits kind of roll over, and you want to build on those habits once you get to the NFL. And that’s just really kind of what I’ve been focused on.”
That’s an incredible endorsement for Banks and for the Vols’ defense. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel’s reputation is as an offensive coach. But he’s made it clear on numerous occasions that playing elite defense is the standard at Tennessee.
The Vols have steadily improved defensively in each of the last four seasons. As a result, Tennessee is sending players to the NFL who have been able to produce quickly (McCollough, Byron Young, Theo Jackson, Alontae Taylor, as well as first-year players in 2025 such as James Pearce and Omarr Norman-Lott).
Elite defensive recruits have a ton of great options coming out of high school — from Oregon to Georgia and plenty of places in between. Tennessee, though, should certainly be considered one of those great options.
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