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Tennessee Football Star Xavier Gilliam Turns Heads With Major National Honor

Tennessee defensive lineman Xavier Gilliam has been added to the midseason watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which honors the top defensive player in college football. This recognition follows a productive start to the 2026 season in which Gilliam accumulated 10.5 tackles for loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles, and six quarterback hurries through seven games.

His performance marks the highest tackle-for-loss total for a Volunteers player at this stage of the season since 2016. In addition to this latest honor, Gilliam has received midseason All-America selections from several major media organizations.

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