Photo via Florida Athletics | Maddie Washburn

The biggest turnover from last season to this upcoming 2026 season for Tennessee football has been in the secondary. Under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, the Vols have hammered the transfer portal for new pieces at safety and cornerback.

Don’t look past the new faces on the defensive line, though. After already landing two edge rushers and a defensvie tackle, Tennessee is looking to add more to the group up front. The latest name on the list of targets has some SEC experience, as well. According to a report from Ryan Callahan on 247, UT hosted Florida defensive lineman Brien Taylor Jr. on a visit this weekend.

Taylor has multiple suitors and is reportedly taking a trip to see Clemson on Monday as he sorts through his choices. A former junior college player, this is his second time being recruited by Tennessee, though, possibly giving the Vols a leg up. He took an official visit in November of 2023 before committing to the Gators.

However, it isn’t clear if Taylor will have eligibility for next season. GatorsWire reported that he was pursuing an additional year of eligibility when he entered the portal just ahead of the deadline on Jan. 15.

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You can see the appeal of landing Taylor, though. He is a versatile piece with the ability to play both defensive end and defensive tackle. That skillset should be familiar to Vol fans, as he could be used very similarly to how Dominic Bailey was this past season.

While Taylor calls himself an EDGE in his X bio, he got the majority of his 268 defensive snaps last year on the interior of the line. Over the course of 12 games, all off the bench, he recorded 24 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.

This was his second year with Florida after joining the team for the 2024 season. He played 10 games that year while recording 14 tackles and two tackles for loss.

Prior to playing at the FBS level with the Gators, Taylor spent two seasons at Blinn College. He played in a total of 13 games while combining for 39 total tackles, 9.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, seven quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery. He was named to the 2023 SWJFC All-Conference Team.