Gutting.
We feared for the worst — we got the worst today.
Keenan Pili is out for the season with a torn ACL. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel announced the official news today.
Tennessee LB Keenan Pili suffered torn ACL & will miss rest of season, Josh Heupel announces
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 14, 2024
Pili transferred in from BYU during the 2023 offseason. The veteran linebacker was going to be a plug and play starter for the Vols last year, but didn’t get past the first game. Pili was hurt in the opener against Virginia and was ultimately lost for the season.
The entire staff was high on Pili entering 2024, calling him a leader after just a year on campus. The lone veteran on Tennessee’s linebacker depth chart, Pili notched 29 tackles, which is still tied for the lead currently on the roster.
Tennessee now turns to Arion Carter, who is emerging as a star at linebacker. The former four-star prospect had a key interception against the Gators, and is third on the team with 27 tackles. He has five tackles for loss.
The real story here is behind Carter. Jeremiah Telander gets pushed up the depth chart, along with Kalib Perry. Telander has seen plenty of playing time dating back to last season, but we haven’t seen much of Perry. He was pushed into key spots last weekend, and that will continue going forward.
Tennessee’s first test without Pili comes this Saturday against Alabama.