Story by
Here's who replaces Edrees Farooq in Jim Knowles' Tennessee defense
- Story by
- Here's who replaces Edrees Farooq in Jim Knowles' Tennessee defense
Tennessee football must adjust its secondary after starting safety Edrees Farooq suffered a season-ending knee injury in practice on Aug. 14.
It was a torn patellar tendon in Farooq's right knee, according to a UT statement. Coach Josh Heupel addressed it after UT's intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 15.
Advertisement
"Everybody hurts — coaches, players, everybody in your program — when you see somebody have a real injury like that," Heupel said. "At the same time, I thought (the safeties) responded extremely well at the back half of practice yesterday and today (in the scrimmage) to go compete."
It's not an ideal situation for new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles . The safety position serves as a focal point of his scheme, and Farooq was projected as a starter there.
Plus, UT's defense has lost three players to injury. Cornerback Jadais Richard , a Miami transfer, is out for the season with an upper-body injury suffered in training over the summer. And sophomore linebacker Jaedon Harmon suffered a season-ending torn ACL in his right knee in practice.
"I hate it for Edrees. I hate it for Jaedon," Heupel said. "Two plays that (were) not heavy contact either. (They were) just unique body positions and, ultimately, (they) have real injuries. I hate it for both of them because they're both great teammates. They've both had great offseasons, guys that have invested in the growth of understanding the game, in their position, their bodies.
Advertisement
"It's also why I know, through this rehab process, they're going to handle it like pros and come out the other side. They've got great futures ahead of them."
Knowles had praised him throughout the offseason. Coincidentally, Knowles recognized Farooq as the defender of the day on his X account about two hours before he suffered the injury.
"Edrees just picked things up quickly and then put himself in position to make plays," Knowles said on Aug. 4. "There's one thing, getting the scheme. That's step one. Then, can you function within that scheme and actually make plays? I saw him make a lot of plays this spring that I was happy about."
Heupel said losing Farooq " affects the depth (at safety), but I don't think it will affect the creativity of what we're able to do."
Advertisement
Michigan transfer TJ Metcalf is projected as the other starting safety. He was All-Big Ten honorable mention at Michigan last season, and he was a starter at Arkansas in 2024.
Tennessee opens the season at home against Furman on Sept. 5 (3:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network+/ESPN+), so Knowles has time to transition to Plan B. Assuming Metcalf starts at the other safety position, here are some potential replacements for Farooq.
Dejuan Lane
Penn State transfer Dejuan Lane seems like a natural replacement. He was likely going to rotate in as the third safety along with Metcalf and Farooq. Now he could step in as a starter.
Advertisement
Lane played in Knowles' scheme at Penn State in 2025. He logged 290 snaps as a rotational safety, capped by a career-high 66 snaps against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. He had 30 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack in 13 games.
Dylan Lewis
Sophomore Dylan Lewis made a good first impression on Knowles in spring practice. That was encouraging because Lewis appeared lost in the shuffle in his freshman year, when the previous staff seemed unsure of his long-term position in the secondary.
Safety appears to be his primary position under Knowles, especially after Farooq's injury. Lewis played only 21 snaps on defense in 2025. He played five games total, mostly on special teams, and made one tackle.
Advertisement
Sidney Walton
Sophomore Sidney Walton got some time in the safety rotation in 2025. He played 104 snaps on defense last season, including 40 in SEC games.
Walton was a key contributor on special teams. He made seven tackles in 10 games.
DJ Burks
Appalachian State transfer DJ Burks is very experienced, which is why UT added him from the portal as a depth piece.
The former Maryville High standout played 40 games at Appalachian State, making 133 tackles and four interceptions in his career.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
Advertisement
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Here's who replaces Edrees Farooq in Jim Knowles' Tennessee defense
