Tennessee’s defense was a wild ride last season.

The Vols were disruptive in 2025 under defensive coordinator Tim Banks — 10 interceptions, 10 fumble recoveries, 87 tackles for loss, and 37 sacks — but Tennessee finished with the No. 92 scoring defense in the nation.

ESPN’s Cole Cubelic and Greg McElroy had an interesting take last season on the reason for the Vols’ defensive struggles under Banks.

Cubelic and McElroy felt like Banks was an emotional play-caller who made reactionary decisions.

“I don’t know if you (McElroy) said this on the show yesterday, or when you and I were talking, but I thought this was brilliantly said,” said Cubelic last November. “And I have not heard it put this way, and I have not heard a lot of coordinators described this way, but I do think it fits Tim Banks well — that he’s an emotional play caller. And I imagine it’s very difficult, first off, not to be [emotional] when you’re calling plays on either side of the ball. Maybe you give up a sack. What do you probably want to do next as an offensive coordinator? You want to get them back.”

“When I look at Tim Banks, I think you’re right,” added McElroy. “You hit the nail on the head with there is some emotion when it comes to his play calling. For example, a team hits a 20-yard play, he wants to blitz you now because he’s mad that you just gained 20 yards. The team stops the run on — let’s just say they stopped the run on 1st-and-10, he automatically is thinking pass on second down. He calls a (defensive) pass play without acknowledging, sometimes, oh, their run game’s now going, they’re going to go back to the run on second down. And they gash him for eight yards.”

Cole Cubelic doesn’t see the same issue with Jim Knowles

Josh Heupel hired Jim Knowles to replace Banks last December, and the early returns are good.

Cubelic, specifically, doesn’t see the same “emotional play-caller” issue with Knowles.

“I think it’s been more responsible,” said Cubelic on The Mike Keith Show this week of Knowles’ defense. “That’s the main thing that I would say. I don’t think the calls have been as emotional as maybe they have been the last few years. It hasn’t been as reactionary as maybe what I’ve seen from a Tennessee defense over the last few seasons.”

Knowles is patient. He may not always make the right defensive call — sometimes the offense just wins the play — but he’s not going to put Tennessee’s defensive players in a bad spot because he’s making an emotional reaction to the offense making a play.