KNOXVILLE, TN – March 16, 2026 – Linebacker Jadon Perlotte #27 and Linebackers Coach William Inge of the Tennessee Volunteers during spring practice on the Robert E. White indoor field in the Anderson Training Center in Knoxville, TN. Photo By Kate Luffman/Tennessee Athletics

While the defense left a lot to be desired for Tennessee football in 2025, there were some bright spots to look forward to for this upcoming 2026 campaign. This included breakout freshman linebacker Jadon Perlotte.

As the season progressed, Perlotte continued to earn the trust of the coaching staff and saw an increased role. He worked his way into the hearts of Vol fans for his energy and speed, which saw him flying all over the field and making big hits.

Now, in a stacked linebacker room, there’s a next step he’ll have to take. According to his position coach, William Inge, last year was about getting settled in and learning. Now, it’s about the performance aspect.

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“Just him continuing to learn,” Inge said. “As you get into, let’s say year one, it’s always gonna be knowledge and understanding, you learning everything. Well, now you go into year two, now this is truly gonna be about performance enhancement and understanding how to take care of your body and take care of your team.

“So that’s what it’s gonna be for him. As we refine some of his skills and some of his abilities, now being able to go make some of the plays that he wasn’t in position to be able to make a year ago. And eliminating some of the errors that he had, that he created a year ago, and being able to be in position to be able to help our defense be even better this year.”

A year ago, Perlotte appeared in all 13 games while recording 19 tackles, two tackles for loss, half a sack and two fumble recoveries. Out of high school, Perlotte was considered a four-star prospect on 247 and ESPN.

Now, he’ll be fighting for time on the field in the deepest room on the roster. Other returners include Arion Carter, Edwin Spillman, Jeremiah Telander, Jordan Burns and Jaedon Harmon. Newcomers include Penn State transfer Amare Campbell and freshmen Brayden Rouse and TJ White.