Tennessee LB Telander Embraces Knowles' Defense

Senior linebacker Jeremiah Telander is excited about the changes to Tennessee's defense under new coordinator Jim Knowles.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 12:08pm

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A cubist-style painting depicting a Tennessee football linebacker in motion, with the player's body broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes of color, conveying the intensity and dynamism of the sport.Tennessee's defense looks to take a major step forward under new coordinator Jim Knowles, with senior linebacker Jeremiah Telander leading the charge.Atlanta Today

Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander is enthusiastic about the Volunteers' new defensive scheme under coordinator Jim Knowles. Telander says the linebackers have more responsibility and freedom to adjust the defense, which he loves as the 'Mike' linebacker. While the defense is still a work in progress, Telander is confident they are improving every day and not repeating mistakes.

Why it matters

Tennessee's defense struggled at times last season, so the arrival of veteran coordinator Jim Knowles represents a major opportunity for the Vols to improve on that side of the ball. Telander's positive outlook suggests the players are buying into Knowles' system, which could pay dividends for Tennessee in 2026.

The details

Telander, a senior linebacker, says the linebackers 'run the show' in Knowles' defense, with the ability to check in and out of plays. This gives the defensive coordinator more freedom to implement his scheme. Telander and the other veteran linebackers, including Arion Carter, Edwin Spillman, Jadon Perlotte, Jaedon Harmon and Jordan Burns, are working to master the new defense along with incoming transfers and freshmen.

  • The Tennessee Volunteers held their annual Orange and White spring game on April 15, 2026.
  • Telander and the defense have been working on Knowles' scheme since January 2026, a 15-week process.

The players

Jeremiah Telander

A senior linebacker for the Tennessee Volunteers who is excited about the changes to the defense under new coordinator Jim Knowles.

Jim Knowles

The new defensive coordinator for the Tennessee Volunteers, brought in to improve the team's defensive performance.

Arion Carter

A returning linebacker for the Tennessee Volunteers who is competing for playing time in the new defensive scheme.

Amare Campbell

A linebacker transfer from Penn State who will join the Tennessee defense this season.

Brayden Rouse

A highly-recruited freshman linebacker who will look to contribute to the Tennessee defense.

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What they’re saying

“The linebackers run the show. That's what I love as a Mike linebacker. We have the ability to check in or check out of things. We have a lot of smart guys in this room so it really frees up Coach Knowles and lets him do what he wants to do on the field. So I'm loving it and it's driven by linebackers.”

— Jeremiah Telander, Senior Linebacker

“I'm really excited about how it came out. And it's really been 15 weeks of it now cause we've been working on it since January. We've definitely gotten better every single day and that was the goal. That's what Coach Knowles preaches all the time, be a team on the rise. So at first, if there's some mistakes here and there, you got to clean them up and you cannot make the same mistake twice. I feel very confident in our defense that we did that.”

— Jeremiah Telander, Senior Linebacker

What’s next

Tennessee will open the 2026 season on September 6 against Furman, giving the defense more time to fully implement Knowles' scheme.

The takeaway

Telander's enthusiasm for the new defensive system under Knowles suggests Tennessee's players are buying into the changes, which could lead to significant improvements for the Volunteers on that side of the ball in 2026 after a disappointing 2025 campaign.