Three Tennessee Football Defensive Newcomers Detail Spring Transition

TJ Metcalf, Dejuan Lane, and Qua Moss talk to reporters after Tuesday's spring practice.

Tennessee defensive back TJ Metcalf (28) during the Vols' first spring football practice in Knoxville on March 16, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Tennessee Volunteers are welcoming in many new faces at all levels of the program.

Coaches, players, overall staff members, nutritionist, and more have migrated to Knoxville ahead of the 2026 season.

The defensive side of the ball is welcoming coaches and players, while learning a new system.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, Co-Defensive coordinator/Safeties coach Anthony Poindexter, and Derek Jones are quickly adapting, and helping others do the same, especially in their positional groups.

The trio also had a few transfers eager to get to Knoxville and play in their system. TJ Metcalf (Michigan), Dejuan Lane (Penn State), and Qua Moss (Kansas State) just to name a few.

These particular newcomers were thrown to the media following Tuesday's spring practice to update their progression in getting used to a new place.

TJ Metcalf

Tennessee defensive back TJ Metcalf (28) during the Vols' first spring football practice in Knoxville on March 16, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Prior knowledge of Knowles' defense

"I could tell like, you know, just on first look that it'll be a complex defense, but it was I kind of saw it as a defense like, you know, everybody can make plays in it. And you know, just going through the spring, you know, already knowing the playbook, uh, it just became easier and easier," Metcalf said.

Dejuan Lane

Tennessee defensive back Dejuan Lane (23) and Tennessee linebacker Jeremiah Telander (22) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Easy transition with familiar faces

"Yeah, it made it pretty simple because, you know, we're running kind of a lot of the same things that we ran last year. Um, there's some familiar faces uh from the player standpoint, coaches and staff standpoint. So, you know, it's making things a lot easier for me," Lane said.

Qua Moss

Tennessee defensive back Qua Moss (19) during the Vols' spring football practice in Knoxville on March 17, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Early Impressions of Knowles' defense

"Uh, coach knows, um he's challenging to be real with you. Um, but I know everything that he doing for us is, it's great. You know what I'm saying? Like, you need a um coordinator like that's going to make sure you doing the best that you can be," Moss stated.

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