KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee LEOs coach Andrew Jackson met with the media Tuesday as the Vols prepare to host Auburn at Neyland Stadium. Jackson discussed a defensive front that has gone from a preseason question mark to tied for the national lead in sacks, while stressing there’s more out there after the loss to Texas. He broke down the play of Tyree Weathersby, Mariyon Dye and Jordan Norman, admitted he didn’t see Xavier Gilliam’s breakout coming from their time together at Penn State, and previewed the challenge of containing Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown. Here is everything Jackson said.
On the players who have moved into the edge role and gotten after the quarterback
“They’ve embraced the defense. They’ve taken ownership. They’ve fought every day to prove themselves. We had a lot of doubt coming about the D-line, the edge positions, and they’ve just fought and tried to detail up, and they’ve all competed well against each other as well in practice every day.”
On whether it’s gratifying to lead the country in sacks after the offseason doubt
“It’s early in the season. Definitely impressed by the way we’re playing. But if you look back at the game, we could do a lot more. Both scores that were let up in the game, we could’ve played better up front. So I think, yeah, we’re excited about the stuff we put on tape so far, but there’s definitely more out there for us.”
On what makes Tyree Weathersby effective
“Number one, the kid’s a warrior. He plays hard. He fights through adversity. He’s one of the toughest guys on the team. But he’s embraced the details, a good stance, a good first step, reading sets. He’s always up here taking care of his body. He watches film, he comes in with answers, he comments, questions. So he’s just dialed in. His focus is unbelievable.”
On Mariyon Dye’s growth as a sophomore
“I think the number one thing for Mariyon is the confidence. He’s playing a lot more relaxed. He’s not putting as much pressure on himself. And again, just the small details, right step, good stance, proper eye placement, and just repeating those things over and over again, and it’s led to him playing better and more confident.”
On what the performance against Texas can do for the defensive line going forward
“Bigger than football, Coach Inge is one of our brothers. He’s like a dad to me, so that was extra motivation going into the game. And I think our guys know that more so than ever, that you never know when the play is. As well as we played, there’s two or three plays we want back, and maybe they don’t score, and I think that they know we’re out there chasing that more so than the past success. We’re chasing that itty bit of perfection, and you never know when the play is that you want back or when you have to be where you’re supposed to be. So we’re constantly chasing that, and then we’ve had good competition within the room. We’ve had multiple guys and multiple sacks, and I think they’re all chasing that greatness, and they’re working together. They communicate well. They love each other. They celebrate with each other. They come back to the sideline and give each other good information. So it’s more of a brotherhood than ever.”
On Jordan Norman’s play
“It was a changeup scheme-wise for him. He’s a great learner. He’s got much more tools than we thought we did when we first evaluated him out of the portal. He’s got a calmness in his rush, and he’s electric get off the line of scrimmage. He recognizes sets well, he plays the run well. He’s been phenomenal for us. His versatility playing inside and outside.”
On whether he saw Xavier Gilliam’s breakout coming from their time at Penn State
“We all talk about potential, right? So I thought he had the potential, but where he’s taken his game now, I didn’t see that coming. I knew him as a high character kid, a hard worker, but this, what he’s putting on tape, I can’t sit here and say that I saw this greatness. And he’s still got a ton he can work on and get better at, even though he’s playing very well, so excited for him.”
On the defense’s communication four games in
“I think the biggest thing is with this group, they ask questions, so we don’t really ever hit the grass or leave a meeting with them not knowing. They come in early and try to get the information. They’re making us coach them through every detail. They don’t leave any stone unturned. There’s no gray area. So when they get out there, they’re super confident. And also having a guy like Amare Campbell come in and know the scheme, and Xavier, they’re able to kind of re-explain it, maybe better player to player. And Amari also has those on-the-field answers that are built in where he can get us in the right situation or get us out of a down.”
On Auburn’s offensive front and containing Byrum Brown
“Every week is a challenge in this conference, so there’s no lay down. They’re gonna be physical. They’re gonna try to run us off the ball. Quarterback’s phenomenal with his legs. The running backs run hard. They’re gonna try to knock the snot out of us, and we gotta be ready. Last week was last week, but this is a new challenge, and to do Saturday we gotta defend the home turf better.”
