He has been praised this preseason by veteran Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner and new Volunteers defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
On Saturday afternoon, Vols junior defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam hopes to be lauded by nearly 102,000 fans inside Neyland Stadium.
“I feel like I’ve been practicing pretty well, but I’m always looking to take those next steps,” Gilliam said during a news conference earlier this week. “Your coaches aren’t going to give you too many compliments. They don’t want to feed your head, but I can definitely feel my presence being felt.
“I’m just looking to keep turning it up a notch.”
Tennessee is opening its 130th football season against Furman, with the 3:30 pairing available on the ESPN+ and SEC Network+ streaming platforms. The Paladins opened last week with a 20-3 home win against fellow South Carolina program Anderson.