Xavier Gilliam tunes out the hype as No. 13 Tennessee prepares for No. 6 Kentucky

Tennessee defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam is one of the most talked-about players on this year’s team. The 6-foot-2 junior has wreaked havoc and taken on the best that other teams had to offer, week in and week out. Through eight games, Gilliam has accumulated 26 tackles, 11.5 for loss, and 6.0 sacks. Everyone is talking about "X," as he is known, and he knows it.

“Obviously it feels good to be recognized for how you’re playing,” Gilliam said on Tuesday. “But in season, I don’t really like to worry too much about that stuff. Always just focused on the next opponent.”

COLUMBIA, SC - October 24, 2026 - Defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers during the game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Tennessee Volunteers at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, SC. | Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

Back in the older times, coaches used to warn against “reading your press clippings.” Newspapers are still a thing, but everything now is digital. With the social media takeover, it is much easier to simply see what anyone across the world has to say about you. However, Gilliam doesn’t focus on that. He is locked in and says it’s not hard at all to not be invested in the hype.

“Oh yeah, I see my name flash a little bit,” Gilliam said. “Not really, because at the end of the day you still got to come in and practice, you still got to come and watch film, you still got to come and prepare for the next game. So there’s really no time to be sitting there on your phone like, ‘Oh, I’m so good.’”

In a week-to-week league, as Vols head coach Josh Heupel says weekly, there is no time for admiring oneself. No. 13 Tennessee is preparing to host No. 6 Kentucky on Saturday night. The Wildcats have a good and physical team that will come in with a chip on their shoulder to try to prove they are for real. The Wildcats have won just three games in Neyland over the last 50 years, and the Vols don’t want to allow the fourth to take place.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel during a football game between Tennessee and Alabama at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Oct. 17, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Gilliam knows what the Wildcats bring, but he’s also keeping it business as usual.

“They got a smart O-line and they got an overall smart team,” Gilliam said. “They don’t really make too many mistakes. You’re not going to see too many plays messed up or busted. So I would say for us, just doing what we do. I feel like this is just a regular game for us. So going out there with that type of mentality, I feel like we’re going to see the result we want.”

No. 13 Tennessee and No. 6 Kentucky kick off at 6:15 p.m. ET on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Roddy Jones (analyst) on the call. Quint Kessenich will have the sideline report.

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