Josh Huepel and the Vols were already entering 2026 with a revamped defensive staff, and are now reportedly losing another defensive staff member.
At the end of the season, Heupel made the decision to part ways with defensive coordinator Tim Banks and made a big splash by hiring former Penn State and Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles to come in and remodel the Vols defense. A number of Penn State staffers made the move with Knowles in hopes of a quick and smooth transition to the Knowles system.
CBS Sports shares that Michael Hunter Jr. is leaving Knoxville, where he had recently been tabbed to coach the corners for the Vols, and is now heading to the NFL where he will coach the secondary for the Rams.
Back in early January, Hunter was announced as part of Knowles initial defensive staff with Tennessee after he spent two seasons at Ohio State. There, he worked with the Buckeye corners.
Prior to arriving in Columbus, Hunter served as the defensive pass game coordinator and corners coach at Tulsa for the 2023 season.
He spent one season at Oklahoma State in Knowles defensive system, learning the ins and outs of it during the 2021 season before the veteran defensive coordinator left for Ohio State prior to the 2022 season. Hunter remained on the staff in Stillwater during the 2022 season in a defensive assistant role.
That 2021 season with Knowles in Stillwater, Hunter helped with a secondary that ranked second in the Big 12 in pass defense, helping them earn a bid to the 2022 Fiesta Bowl, where they defeated Notre Dame. Corner Christian Holmes was selected to the All-Big 12 second-team before he was eventually drafted in the final round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
A former corner at Indiana from 2011-14, Hunter finished out his playing career at Oklahoma State in 2015 and then spent four seasons in the NFL, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Giants in 2016.
On Sean McVay's staff in LA, Hunter joins a staff led by defensive coordinator Chris Shula, who interviewed and was a finalist for multiple NFL jobs this cycle. Shula recently finished his ninth season with the Rams and his second as the team's defensive coordinator.
Just in the last few days, Rams assistant head coach and passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant has been set to interview for the defensive coordinator jobs with the Cardinals and Browns.
Stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.