Penn State redshirt freshman defensive line transfer Xavier Gilliam committed to Tennessee on Thursday. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound defensive tackle appeared in 17 games, including two starts, for the Nittany Lions from 2024-25.
Gilliam recorded 16 tackles, two tackles for a loss and 0.5 sacks. His career-high for tackles in a game is four versus FIU on Sept. 6, 2025, while recording 0.5 sacks against Rutgers on Nov. 29, 2025.
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Gilliam is from Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
He will reunite with his former defensive coordinator Jim Knowles. Tennessee hired Knowles as defensive coordinator following the 2025 regular season. He was Penn State’s defensive coordinator in 2025 after serving in the same capacity at Ohio State from 2022-24.
“Hiring Jim Knowles was our top priority from the start of this process,” Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said. “Jim has a proven track record of developing elite defenses that play with an edge, and we got to see that first-hand during the 2024 College Football Playoff. His defenses are always physical, well prepared and can adapt quickly in-game against today’s complex offenses. He’s a competitor, a winner and someone who will get the most out of our players in practice and on gameday. We are thrilled to welcome Jim to Rocky Top as he helps us chase championships.”
More: Jim Knowles’ defenses by the numbers at Ohio State, Penn State
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This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Penn State football defensive line transfer commits to Vols
