The Tennessee Vols had plenty of questions coming into the 2026 season. They would be handing the keys of the offense to a new and inexperienced signal caller. New defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was implementing a new defense, and with plenty of new transfer portal pieces, that entire side of the ball came with a lot of uncertainly.

After Tennessee’s 20-17 loss to the No. 1 Texas Longhorns on Saturday, it’s safe to say that the Vols’ defensive question marks have been answered, and in a good way. Tennessee’s defense carried the water all day long to help keep the Vols in the game despite Josh Heupel’s offense struggling badly across four quarters.

Tennessee’s defense carried the Vols and game them a chance in 20-17 loss to Texas

Tennessee’s defense allowed a 75-yard touchdown drive to start the game, with Arch Manning completing an absolute duck for 43-yards when Emmett Mosley V got behind the Vols’ secondary. Raleek Brown took it in for a score, and the vibes weren’t great right out of the gate for the Vols’ defense.

But then Tennessee settled in. They kept Texas out of the end zone for the next three quarters of game time with just two field goals notched until then. They held Texas to 261 total yards and just 61 rushing yards on 16 carries. They notched six sacks of Manning, with DE Tyree Weathersby getting 2.5 of them. Xavier Gilliam was unblockable at times in the middle, blowing up running lanes and notching a sack himself.

Unfortunately, the dam broke midway in the fourth quarter, when Texas went on a 60-yard drive to go up 20-10 on Brown’s second touchdown run of the day with under six minutes left.

Tennessee’s defense could be good enough to give them a legit chance in every game left on the schedule

Moving forward, it’s hard to see a game left on the schedule where the Vols’ defense can’t keep them in the game and give them a chance. Alabama has been proficient on the ground this year, but Saturday’s type of performance could give Tennessee a chance of neutralizing them. Texas A&M and LSU are plenty talented but have already shown flaws this year.

And Tennessee may need that type of performance from their defense this year, unless the Vols’ offense takes a big step forward from what we saw on Saturday against the Longhorns. And with a shaky offensive line and a true freshman quarterback, they may need Knowles’ group to shine brightly to keep them in the College Football Playoff picture by the end of the year.

But they might just have the group to answer that challenge.