University of Tennessee Athletics
Vols Wrap Up Third Week of Spring Ball With Second Scrimmage
April 02, 2026 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee's defense set the tone in the first half of its second scrimmage, but the offense responded in the second stanza as the Volunteers wrapped up their third week of spring ball on Thursday in Neyland Stadium.
A reshaped defensive front and secondary has flashed and been consistent. One of those newcomers is Penn State transfer defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam. The redshirt sophomore made his presence known last year and started in the Nittany Lions' victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.
"He's a guy who has played some football and has familiarity with the scheme," head coach Josh Heupel said. "He had a really good offseason in our winter program, and then as we have continued to go through spring ball, I think he has flashed more and more the deeper we have gotten into it. I have shown him a couple of times in our block destruction drill that we do up front."
The offense picked up the pace in the second half of the scrimmage that featured a DaSaahn Brame explosive play touchdown. Brame enters his second season with the program healthy and forms a solid returning tight end punch with Ethan Davis.
"He understands space, leverage, being able to go up and high point with a big catch radius," said Heupel of Brame. "He created a big play today down the middle of the football field. He has definitely grown in becoming a complete tight end, of being able to play in the run game and protection too. I am really excited about what he's done."
The Vols will break for Easter and return to practice next Tuesday to kick off the final week of spring ball. The Orange & White Game is set for 2 p.m. ET on April 11. Admission is free, and gates to Neyland Stadium will open at 1 p.m.
Head Coach Josh Heupel
April 2, 2026
Opening statement…
"Good work today, inside the scrimmage, scrimmage No. 2. I thought defensively they did a really good job in the early part of the scrimmage. They were assignment sound, being in the right position and then getting off the field on third down. The second half of the scrimmage, the offense put a couple of things together. All in all, it was really good work and a lot left for us here as we head into our last week of spring ball."
On where he feels like the team has grown from scrimmage No. 1 to No. 2…
"We introduced crowd noise this week, simulating playing on the road. I thought the quarterbacks did a lot better job from day one until today. Same thing with the offensive line, the communication, silent count. I think defensively in some of the things we have added, I thought they grasped it pretty quickly and handled it well. They continued to grow fundamentally in the scope of technique. That's in the scheme and also block destruction and tackling we took a step. Offensively, upfront they have continued to grow in creating movement, being better in our double teams, who is coming off and those types of things."
On defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam…
"He's a guy who has played some football and has familiarity with the scheme. He had a really good offseason in our winter program, and then as have continued to go through spring ball, I think he has flashed more and more the deeper we have gotten into it. First and second down, he's really good at the point of attack, not getting moved versus double teams. He's done a good job using his hands. I have shown him a couple of times in our block destruction drill that we do up front. Then you look at some of what he's done in our pass rush, that's our pass rush period and during team, he has showcased the ability to play on an edge and affect the quarterback."
On the decision making of quarterbacks George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon…
"In general, I have been really pleased in their decision making and taking care of the football. There have been a couple of things where they maybe have not seen it right or where the play has broken down and had to move with body in awkward position where they haven't been as accurate or sound in the decision making. Collectively as a group, they have been really good. There are a couple of things where each of them have to continue to grow in but that's spring ball and through the course of summer and through training camp too."
On how Faizon Brandon has picked up the offense as a true freshman…
"For a true freshman getting here in January and seven weeks offseason what we did and then hitting the ground in spring ball through today, he's been really sound in what he's done. I think the pass game, certainly. There's a lot on our quarterbacks in the run game too. That's an area where, at times, can be the hardest part for our quarterbacks, but he has continued to progress in that. There's still a lot left for him and everyone in that room for us to be what we need to. As a true freshman, I am certainly pleased with what he has done up to this point."
On scrimmaging in Neyland Stadium and who stood out…
"All 105 of them. I am excited to see those guys compete. Practice is really important, but this is as close as you get to true gameday. All of the coaches on the sideline, and you have to operate. You want to see how they handle a positive play or the one that doesn't go their way too. The only play that matters is the next play. Creating that mindset, that maturity to go play the next play, is really important. There were a lot of positives from today, but there were some things certainly in all three phases that we have to get better at too."
On tight end DaSaahn Brame…
"Certainly is a guy of what he did in high school, how he grew up inside of the game, is very natural as a route runner. He understands space, leverage, being able to go up and high point with a big catch radius. He created a big play today down the middle of the football field. He has definitely grown in becoming a complete tight end, of being able to play in the run game and protection too. I am really excited about what he's done. That's a guy that missed a bunch of time with an injury coming out of high school. A year ago, he certainly grew through the course of the season as he got healthy. He got exposed to more things. I am expecting him to play a lot of football and play at a really high level."
On the spring practice calendar and format…
"I do like the opportunities that we get. I think if your team is different or what you need to get out of it is a little bit different as far as how many veteran players have played within the scheme. You still have to develop their young players. I like the opportunities that we get. You still get time with your players over the course of summer. That rule changed a handful of years ago. Do I like what we do? Yes. Could it move further back? I could see that too, but I certainly like the timing of what we are doing right now because of the amount of physical work that you can get. Some of that is in team where you have live periods. Certainly, you look at some of the fundamental and technique work that you have to get in what I call group work where you are going against somebody on the other side of the ball in a real setting. I think the timing of right now gives you the ability to do more of that than if it moved into late June."
On the development of the secondary…
"I feel really good about the group, the guys we have brought in through the portal, and the young guys we signed, they have real traits. The guys that were here on campus who were young a year ago, some of those guys played a lot on special teams, the growth of those guys as well. A coach's best friend is competition. We certainly have that on the back end at every spot. I think they have grasped what we are doing defensively really well, playing assignment sound with good eyes. The communication has been really good. In general, I really like what we are doing. There's still a lot left out there for us from corners to nickel to safety. I like what we have on the back end."
On the pass rush…
"In general, the pass rush has been good. That's certainly an area, as we continue to go through the rest of spring and into training camp, is a point of emphasis for us. Being able to play with different personnel packages as we find out who are our best. Between just four-man rushes, we have been able to apply some pressure. Certainly, in the scope of our blitz packages as well, it's been good. We just have to continue to grow on that side of it. That's a point of emphasis for us as we finish out spring ball."
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A reshaped defensive front and secondary has flashed and been consistent. One of those newcomers is Penn State transfer defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam. The redshirt sophomore made his presence known last year and started in the Nittany Lions' victory over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl.
"He's a guy who has played some football and has familiarity with the scheme," head coach Josh Heupel said. "He had a really good offseason in our winter program, and then as we have continued to go through spring ball, I think he has flashed more and more the deeper we have gotten into it. I have shown him a couple of times in our block destruction drill that we do up front."
The offense picked up the pace in the second half of the scrimmage that featured a DaSaahn Brame explosive play touchdown. Brame enters his second season with the program healthy and forms a solid returning tight end punch with Ethan Davis.
"He understands space, leverage, being able to go up and high point with a big catch radius," said Heupel of Brame. "He created a big play today down the middle of the football field. He has definitely grown in becoming a complete tight end, of being able to play in the run game and protection too. I am really excited about what he's done."
The Vols will break for Easter and return to practice next Tuesday to kick off the final week of spring ball. The Orange & White Game is set for 2 p.m. ET on April 11. Admission is free, and gates to Neyland Stadium will open at 1 p.m.
Head Coach Josh Heupel
April 2, 2026
Opening statement…
"Good work today, inside the scrimmage, scrimmage No. 2. I thought defensively they did a really good job in the early part of the scrimmage. They were assignment sound, being in the right position and then getting off the field on third down. The second half of the scrimmage, the offense put a couple of things together. All in all, it was really good work and a lot left for us here as we head into our last week of spring ball."
On where he feels like the team has grown from scrimmage No. 1 to No. 2…
"We introduced crowd noise this week, simulating playing on the road. I thought the quarterbacks did a lot better job from day one until today. Same thing with the offensive line, the communication, silent count. I think defensively in some of the things we have added, I thought they grasped it pretty quickly and handled it well. They continued to grow fundamentally in the scope of technique. That's in the scheme and also block destruction and tackling we took a step. Offensively, upfront they have continued to grow in creating movement, being better in our double teams, who is coming off and those types of things."
On defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam…
"He's a guy who has played some football and has familiarity with the scheme. He had a really good offseason in our winter program, and then as have continued to go through spring ball, I think he has flashed more and more the deeper we have gotten into it. First and second down, he's really good at the point of attack, not getting moved versus double teams. He's done a good job using his hands. I have shown him a couple of times in our block destruction drill that we do up front. Then you look at some of what he's done in our pass rush, that's our pass rush period and during team, he has showcased the ability to play on an edge and affect the quarterback."
On the decision making of quarterbacks George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon…
"In general, I have been really pleased in their decision making and taking care of the football. There have been a couple of things where they maybe have not seen it right or where the play has broken down and had to move with body in awkward position where they haven't been as accurate or sound in the decision making. Collectively as a group, they have been really good. There are a couple of things where each of them have to continue to grow in but that's spring ball and through the course of summer and through training camp too."
On how Faizon Brandon has picked up the offense as a true freshman…
"For a true freshman getting here in January and seven weeks offseason what we did and then hitting the ground in spring ball through today, he's been really sound in what he's done. I think the pass game, certainly. There's a lot on our quarterbacks in the run game too. That's an area where, at times, can be the hardest part for our quarterbacks, but he has continued to progress in that. There's still a lot left for him and everyone in that room for us to be what we need to. As a true freshman, I am certainly pleased with what he has done up to this point."
On scrimmaging in Neyland Stadium and who stood out…
"All 105 of them. I am excited to see those guys compete. Practice is really important, but this is as close as you get to true gameday. All of the coaches on the sideline, and you have to operate. You want to see how they handle a positive play or the one that doesn't go their way too. The only play that matters is the next play. Creating that mindset, that maturity to go play the next play, is really important. There were a lot of positives from today, but there were some things certainly in all three phases that we have to get better at too."
On tight end DaSaahn Brame…
"Certainly is a guy of what he did in high school, how he grew up inside of the game, is very natural as a route runner. He understands space, leverage, being able to go up and high point with a big catch radius. He created a big play today down the middle of the football field. He has definitely grown in becoming a complete tight end, of being able to play in the run game and protection too. I am really excited about what he's done. That's a guy that missed a bunch of time with an injury coming out of high school. A year ago, he certainly grew through the course of the season as he got healthy. He got exposed to more things. I am expecting him to play a lot of football and play at a really high level."
On the spring practice calendar and format…
"I do like the opportunities that we get. I think if your team is different or what you need to get out of it is a little bit different as far as how many veteran players have played within the scheme. You still have to develop their young players. I like the opportunities that we get. You still get time with your players over the course of summer. That rule changed a handful of years ago. Do I like what we do? Yes. Could it move further back? I could see that too, but I certainly like the timing of what we are doing right now because of the amount of physical work that you can get. Some of that is in team where you have live periods. Certainly, you look at some of the fundamental and technique work that you have to get in what I call group work where you are going against somebody on the other side of the ball in a real setting. I think the timing of right now gives you the ability to do more of that than if it moved into late June."
On the development of the secondary…
"I feel really good about the group, the guys we have brought in through the portal, and the young guys we signed, they have real traits. The guys that were here on campus who were young a year ago, some of those guys played a lot on special teams, the growth of those guys as well. A coach's best friend is competition. We certainly have that on the back end at every spot. I think they have grasped what we are doing defensively really well, playing assignment sound with good eyes. The communication has been really good. In general, I really like what we are doing. There's still a lot left out there for us from corners to nickel to safety. I like what we have on the back end."
On the pass rush…
"In general, the pass rush has been good. That's certainly an area, as we continue to go through the rest of spring and into training camp, is a point of emphasis for us. Being able to play with different personnel packages as we find out who are our best. Between just four-man rushes, we have been able to apply some pressure. Certainly, in the scope of our blitz packages as well, it's been good. We just have to continue to grow on that side of it. That's a point of emphasis for us as we finish out spring ball."
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Players Mentioned
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