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Jersey Number 2
Xavier Gilliam
- Position:
- DL
- Ht./Wt.:
- 6-2 / 305
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Montgomery Village, Md.
- High School:
- Quince Orchard
- Prev School:
- Penn State
CAREER HONORS
2026 Preseason All-SEC Fourth Team (Athlon)CAREER
Physical defensive tackle with a strong trajectory who is expected to make an immediate impact in his first season at Tennessee … Transfers from Penn State where he played two seasons, including the 2025 campaign under Jim Knowles … Ranked the No. 6 defensive lineman in the 2026 transfer portal by 247Sports and No. 8 by On3 … Enrolled at Tennessee in January 2026 and owns three seasons of remaining eligibility, including the 2026 year … Owns 38 tackles, 12 TFLs and 5.5 sacks to go along with two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one pass breakup and seven QB hurries in his career ... Played in 23 career games (6 at UT, 17 at PSU) and made eight starts (6 at UT, 2 at PSU).2026 – JUNIOR
Has emerged as one of the nation’s elite defensive players this season, leading the team and ranking among the SEC and national leaders in TFLs (10.0), sacks (5.0) and pressures (22) ... Entering Week 7, holds the following statistical rankings: 10 TFLs - 3rd in SEC, 3rd in FBS 5 sacks – 4th in SEC, 8th in FBS 22 Pressures – 1st in SEC, 2nd in FBS 2 Forced Fumbles – 1st in SEC, 11th in FBS 90.9 PFF Grade – 1st in SEC, 1st in FBS (among defensive linemen) ... His 10.0 TFLs are the most by a UT player through six games since Jesse Mahelona had 10.5 in 2004 ... Was a force in road win at Arkansas (10/10), finishing with four tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a strip sack, two QB hurries and a pass breakup ... His sack against the Razorbacks forced a fumble that he recovered to stall the Hogs opening drive of the game ... Is also tied for the team lead and fifth in the SEC with four sacks ... Finished with two tackles, one TFL and one QB hurry in win over Auburn (10/3) ... Posted four tackles, including two TFLs, one sack and one QB hurry in SEC opener vs. #1 Texas (9/26 ... Finished with four tackles and a career-best two QB hurries in win vs. Kennesaw State (9/19) ... Started at DT and made a pair of tackles, including a half-TFL in road win at Georgia Tech (9/12) ... Had a monster performance in his UT debut, setting career highs in tackles (6), TFLs (5.0), sacks (3.0) and forced fumbles (1) in season-opening win vs. Furman (9/5) ... Became the first Vol with three-plus sacks in a game since Darrell Taylor had four on Nov. 10, 2018 vs. Kentucky. Also became the second Vol with at least 5.0 TFLs in a game since 2005, joining Aaron Beasley, who did so on Sept. 9, 2023 vs. Austin Peay ... His 87.6 overall grade from PFF.com was the highest among UT's defensive players for Week 1 ... Became just the third SEC player since 2005 with at least 3.0 sacks and 5.0 TFLs in a single contest, joining Ole Miss’ Suntarine Perkins (Oct. 26, 2024, against Oklahoma) and Missouri’s Blaze Alldredge (Sept. 4, 2021, against Central Michigan)2025 – SOPHOMORE (PENN STATE)
A major contributor in the middle for Penn State, playing in all 13 games with two starts … Collected 15 tackles with two tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one QB hurry, one forced fumble and one blocked field goal … Played 409 defensive snaps … Started in the Pinstripe Bowl win over Clemson (12/27) … Secured a tackle and a half-sack at Rutgers (11/29) … Posted two tackles and for a loss of three yards vs. Nebraska (11/22) … Notched one tackle in his first career start at Michigan State (11/15) … Had one tackle in games against Ohio State (11/1) and Indiana (11/8) … Tallied one solo tackle and blocked a field goal that resulted in a touchdown at Iowa (10/18) … Also had solo tackles against UCLA (10/4), Northwestern (10/11) and Villanova (9/13) … Finished with four tackles, two solo and 1.5 tackles for loss against FIU (9/6).2024 – FRESHMAN (PENN STATE)
Appeared in five games and earned a redshirt as a true freshman with 55 snaps … Played against Kent State, Purdue, Maryland, SMU and the CFP quarterfinal Fiesta Bowl vs. Boise State … Had one tackle against Maryland (11/30).HIGH SCHOOL & PERSONAL
A four-star prospect by ESPN and a three-star recruit by 247Sports, On3 and Rivals … Played at Quince Orchard High School for head coach John Kelley ... Was a three-year letterman ... Played at Wilde Lake High School from 2020-22 for head coach Brian Henderson ... Led the Cougars to an 11-1 record as a senior ... Named first-team all-metro in 2023 and first-team All-Howard County selection in 2022 and 2023 as a defensive tackle ... Tabbed Baltimore Touchdown Club Super 22 in 2022 ... As a senior, collected 42 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and six sacks ... As a junior, tallied 52 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, four forced fumbles and a pass breakup...Secured 23 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks, a forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a blocked kick as a sophomore ... Ranked as the No. 18 defensive tackle and No. 8 prospect in Maryland by ESPN ... Tabbed as the No. 13 prospect in Maryland by 247Sports and No. 15 player in the state by On3 ... Also played baseball and basketball at Wilde Lake, earning first-team all-county honors in 2021 ... In basketball, was second-team all-county as a sophomore and first-team all-county as a junior, helping Wilde Lake to county and regional championships … Son of Cecil and Katia Gilliam ... Has two brothers, Kacey and Cecil … Father, Cecil, played football at Morgan State (1996-97) ... Uncle, Sean McNeely, played basketball at McDaniel College (2003-05) ... Cousin, Kelvin Gilliam, is a defensive lineman who played at Oklahoma and Virginia Tech ... Great Uncle, Mahlon Duckett, played baseball for the Philadelphia Stars and Homestead Grays (1940-50) ... Aspires to be a coach one day … Majoring in communication studies ... Instagram handle is @xaviergilliam_ … X handle is @XavierGilliam_Saturday, October 17
Saturday, October 17
Saturday, October 17
Tuesday, October 13
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