The new fiscal year for college athletics is upon us. There’s no one more important in the Tennessee Vols’ athletic department than defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
Sure, no matter what happens this season, head coach Josh Heupel will get the blame or credit. It’s ultimately his neck on the line, but Banks, who has been the Vols’ defensive coordinator since 2021, won’t be too far from the gallows if things go south.
Let’s be clear: Heupel isn’t on the hot seat nor no where near it. However, that could all change if Tennessee falls flat this season – and there’s reason to believe that could happen. Let’s begin with the quarterback situation, which I’m sure you’re aware of. Some guy named Nico Iamaleava traded in his “Power T” for UCLA’s blue and gold. However, the Tennessee Vols have issues that are just as pressing on the other side of the ball.
Tennessee has lost its most talented defender, EDGE rusher James Pearce Jr., to the NFL and arguably its best defender, cornerback Jermod McCoy, who is sidelined with an ACL tear suffered in January. Could McCoy bounce back and be ready for the beginning of the season? That’s in line with the medical reports coming from UT, but I’m more apt to believe injury returns when I actually see them. Coaches are far too often very optimistic.
There may not be another defensive coordinator in the country that is losing an elite defensive end/linebacker and a shut-down cornerback. That’s not ideal. It’s also not all the Vols have lost from last season. Technically, Tennessee lost just three starters from last season’s team, but that’s a bit misleading. Tennessee played a bevy of players last season thanks to a defense that relied on depth and keeping players fresh. That won’t likely be the case this season.
Many players will move from contributing roles to starters this fall. The Vols should benefit in that regard thanks to the fact they played so many players last season. One could actually argue that their starting defense won’t slip that much from 2024. However, Tennessee won’t likely be able to bring in waves of players, especially on the defensive line, as it was able to last season. That’s where Banks comes in.
There were many that knocked Banks early in his Tennessee Vols tenure. Some thought he just wasn’t up to snuff when compared to an offensive guru like Heupel. Well, things have changed. Heupel. doesn’t look like the second-coming of Steve Spurrier all of the sudden, and Banks’ defense led the charge last season as the Vols made their first ever college football playoff appearance.
Tennessee was second to only Texas last season in total defense, allowing just 293 yards per game. That ranked sixth nationally. The Vols were third in the SEC, allowing just 16 points per game, which ranked seventh-best in the nation. If Banks can match that this season, he should be the assistant coach of the year.
With so many players in more key roles this season, Tennessee’s defense is sure to give up some big plays. That may be a part of the game plan. While the Vols were able to play teams straight up last season, they’ll likely have to depend on some of Banks’ innovative blitz, stunts and twists to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks and keep running games off balance. That’s Banks’ speciality.
Banks caught more than his fair share of criticism early in Heupel’s time at Tennessee. Heupel was heading up the most exciting offense in college football in 2022, and Banks was heading up a bunch of guys that struggled to keep up with their offensive counterparts, which was woefully evident when the Vols fell flat in Columbia, losing to South Carolina 63-38 and costing them a shot at the College Football Playoff. At the time, Tennessee fans wanted a new defensive coordinator. That would have been a bit premature.
Banks was dealing with a couple of things when his defense was giving up points at a nauseating level in 2022. First, the Vols quickly realized they had to score ALOT of points to win football games in 2022. Why? The Vols just weren’t that talented on defense, which made Banks incredibly valuable even if he was under-appreciated.
That Tennessee defense in 2022 was 11th in the SEC, which isn’t good no matter the reason. However, I would argue that the guys taking the field were a part of the hangover from former Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt. They weren’t Banks’ doing.
Other than linebacker Jeremy Banks, who wasn’t considered an ideal teammate, the Tennessee Vols’ best defender in 2022 was LEO defender Byron Young, who has put together an impressive NFL career. Looking for more NFL-ready defenders on Tennessee’s roster that season? Keep looking.
Tennessee’s defensive front was unproven and, other than Young and Banks, didn’t have any consistent playmakers to sway a game. As for the Vols secondary? It was just a mess from the beginning of the season and never got much better. Fans wanted to blame Banks. However, he wasn’t at fault. He just didn’t have the players needed to field an elite defense.
Therefore, Tim Banks relied on multiple pressure packages that would yield a big result. Sometimes that would be good for the Vols. Sometimes that would be good for the opposing team. It didn’t matter. That was Banks’ only choice.
Tennessee’s defense shouldn’t be anywhere near that inept this season. The Vols should have a top-tier defense once again, even with the losses they have to overcome. However, in order to do so, coaching will be key, which should be fine. The Vols’ core of defensive coaches are Banks at defensive coordinator and Rodney Garner, who coaches their defensive line. That’s a pretty good duo to build on.
UT shouldn’t take a huge step back defensively this season despite losing so many players from 2024. However, Tennessee will look a bit different. Fortunately, Banks has shown he’s just fine with mixing things up no matter what fans might think.
