2026 games, tackles for loss per game. W and L: the team’s results.
“I am pregnant and I don’t know if Knowles or Gilliam is the father.”
Tennessee fan, r/CFB game thread · at South Carolina, Oct 24
4 stories this week, from 4 outlets.
Written , before the 2026 season
The dominant offseason thread isn't the box score, it's the migration. When Jim Knowles bolted Penn State for Knoxville, he took a piece of the Nittany Lions' defense with him, and Gilliam was the quietest of the bunch, a redshirt freshman with two career starts and a stat line (15 tackles, 2 TFL, 0.5 sacks) that didn't scream 'cornerstone.' But Tennessee got loud about him fast: Heupel praised his block destruction and his ability to hold up against double teams, and coaches started floating an Omarr Norman-Lott comparison for his quickness off the interior. AtoZ Sports already lists him among the best players on the roster coming out of spring.
The stakes only climbed in June. The marquee Penn State import, Chaz Coleman, the one who got a reported ~$2 million, was medically disqualified and parted ways with the program, turning Tennessee's headline transfer bet into a bust. With Daevin Hobbs fighting the same foot injury that nagged him in 2025, the projected starting tackle next to him is the guy nobody was talking about in January. Rivals slotted Gilliam as the No. 10 DL in the portal; post-spring depth charts have him starting.
So the boards on Rocky Top have flipped from 'who's Xavier Gilliam' to 'is he the answer in the middle.' The forward stake for 2026: does the spring riser hold up over a full SEC slate, or is Tennessee asking a one-start redshirt freshman to anchor a line that has to replace its best from a year ago?
Sources
Play style, written June 30, before the season
No pbp percentiles exist for Gilliam (a redshirt freshman interior tackle with one full season of snaps), so this is a scouting read, not a metric one. He's not a space-eater in the classic mold at a listed 6-2, 300 (the recruiting file had him at 265 out of Quince Orchard) but the coaching staff's selling point is leverage and quickness: good at the point of attack, hard to move on doubles, and disruptive enough off the snap that Tennessee staffers reached for an Omarr Norman-Lott comp. His 2025 production was modest and rotational, 12 solo tackles, 3 TFL, half a sack, fitting a No. 3 DT in a deep room, so 2026 is the projection year where the flashes either become a snap count or stay flashes.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
26 tackles. 2 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 11.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 4 outlets
A to Z Sports Oct 30 · 1 outlet
Sports Illustrated +1Where Xavier Gilliam Lands on Mel Kiper Jr.'s Latest 2027 NFL Draft Big BoardNov 1
Yahoo SportsXavier Gilliam projected to Cowboys in NFL mock draftOct 30A to Z SportsTennessee Vols defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam gets selected very high in the latest 2027 NFL mock draft from The AthleticOct 30from 11 outlets
A to Z Sports +1 Oct 22 · 2 outlets
A to Z Sports +1Xavier Gilliam finally said the words that Tennessee Vols fans have been waiting for him to sayOct 16Sports IllustratedEverything Xavier Gilliam Said Following Tennessee Football's Win vs. FurmanSep 7Sports IllustratedJarrett Guarantano Shares His Player Comparison for Tennessee Football's Xavier GilliamSep 7Sports IllustratedEverything Tennessee Football DL Xavier Gilliam Said Leading Up to Texas vs TennesseeSep 22
Rocky Top Talk +1Xavier Gilliam was absolutely dominant in his Tennessee debutSep 9Sports IllustratedTennessee Defender Xavier Gilliam Makes Program History in DebutSep 5Yahoo SportsWhy Xavier Gilliam isn't a secret anymore for Tennessee football after three sacksSep 5Sports IllustratedXavier Gilliam and Edwin Spillman Lead Tennessee's Defensive Charge Against FurmanSep 7
On3Xavier Gilliam is playing better than any Tennessee defensive tackle the past decadeSep 29Sports Illustrated +1Xavier Gilliam Receives Major Recognition in Newest NFL Draft Prospect RankingsOct 26Sports Illustrated +1Where Xavier Gilliam Lands on Mel Kiper Jr.'s Latest 2027 NFL Draft Big BoardNov 1Yahoo SportsXavier Gilliam projected to Cowboys in NFL mock draftOct 30A to Z SportsTennessee Vols defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam gets selected very high in the latest 2027 NFL mock draft from The AthleticOct 30A to Z SportsA to Z Sports +1Sports IllustratedYahoo SportsOn3Rocky Top Talk +1On3Each week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories we tracked, by school.
Tennessee29 stories2026 to nowMost about: in his words, performance and stat line, draft stock.
Rocky Top Talk +1Xavier Gilliam was absolutely dominant in his Tennessee debutSep 9A to Z Sports +1Xavier Gilliam finally said the words that Tennessee Vols fans have been waiting for him to sayOct 16A to Z Sports +1South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer leaves no doubt on how he feels about Vols DL Xavier Gilliam ahead of game against TennesseeOct 22Sports Illustrated +1Xavier Gilliam Receives Major Recognition in Newest NFL Draft Prospect RankingsOct 26
Penn State2 stories2024 to 2025Most about: starting job and depth chart.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Fans first named Xavier Gilliam vs Furman.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tennessee | 26 | 12 | 11.5 | 6.0 | 2 |
| 2025 | Penn State | 16 | 12 | 3.0 | 0.5 | -- |
| 2024 | Penn State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- |
| Career | 43 | 25 | 14.5 | 6.5 | 2 |
Last game (Wk 8): 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, 3 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 8 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-9vs Furman | 6 | 5 | 5.0 | 3.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 45-24@ Georgia Tech | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 42-9vs Kennesaw State | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 17-20vs No. 1 Texas | 4 | 1 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 24-14vs Auburn | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 24-17@ Arkansas | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | W 26-10vs No. 6 Alabama | 1 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 8 | L 24-27@ South Carolina | 3 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 26 | 12 | 11.5 | 6.0 | — | 2 |
Oct. 24 · L 24-27 at South Carolina, play by play
3 tackles, including 1 sack. His sack on 4th and 3 ended South Carolina’s drive (downs).
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 2 of his 3, sacks included.
Hurried the quarterback. Second quarter, down 14-7. Ended South Carolina’s drive (int).
Sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss on 4th and 3. Third quarter, up 21-17. Ended South Carolina’s drive (downs).
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 11 tackles for loss, 6 of them sacks, in the 8 games with play by play.
How Tennessee’s defense played that day
South Carolina’s 10 drives: 5 stopped (1 takeaway) · 5 scored. While the game was within a score they held 5 of 10. His hurry came with the game tied.
1 tackle, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
4 tackles, including 1 sack, 1 pass broken up. He hurried the quarterback twice.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
2 tackles, including 1 more for loss. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Hurried the quarterback. Third quarter, up 10-7. Ended Auburn’s drive (int).
4 tackles, including 1 more for loss, 1 sack. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 5 for him; the box score credits 4.
Sacked the quarterback for a 8-yard loss. First quarter, down 7-3.
4 tackles. He hurried the quarterback twice.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
2 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
A big game: 6 tackles, including 2 more for loss, 3 sacks, tied for the most sacks in FBS that week.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 5 of his 6, sacks included.
Forced a fumble on 3rd and 2. Second quarter, up 21-0.
Sacked the quarterback for a 7-yard loss on 3rd and 9. Third quarter, up 42-0.
Week 1 · 2026
W 56-9
vs Furman
3 sacks · 5 tackles for loss · 6 tackles
Dominant 47-point win at home against Furman.
Conference ranks count every player in the conference with a row in that stat, any position. Career ranks count current FBS players, from the games in our log.
Ratings of the games shown run from -14 to +21 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
TFL rate
44%12 TFLSack rate
23%6 sacksHurry rate
35%9 hurries26 tackles · 11.5 for loss · 6 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 3.4 | 1.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 |
| Road3g | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 3.3 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Josh Heupel
Pass share
37.5%
207 pass / 345 run
Plays / game
69.0
8 games
Team sack rate
9.1%
242 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Player standing · 2026
26 tackles in 8 games, about as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive lineman who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #9 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 21 games over three seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
3 coachesPlayed for 3 head coaches at 2 schools: James Franklin, Terry Smith and Josh Heupel.
Next stop · Transfer
Transferred to Tennessee
