Tennessee’s defensive front is deep and has been one of the best in college football the first three weeks of the season. 

Rodney Garner’s squad has set the tone for the defense and has the opportunity to do so this week at Oklahoma. It’s a challenge Omari Thomas is looking forward to.

“We take a lot of pride in setting the tone. We are older guys. We want to be leaders. We want to go out there and be the best we can be showing all the work we have put in,” Thomas said.

Jaxson Moi will get his first taste of SEC football Saturday night after beginning his career at Stanford for Moi, a California native, it’s games like this that prompted him to transfer to Tennessee. 

“Definitely, playing in a college gameday atmosphere on a big time national stage,” Moi said. “This is what you come to Tennessee for to showcase your talents against the best. I’m just blessed to have this opportunity.”

Senior Cooper Mays has plenty of experience in the SEC home and away. Mays is fully aware of the narrative surrounding Tennessee and the road. He also knows the challenges of playing on the road and helping Nico Iamaleava in his first start. 

“I would say it has plagued us. It kind of plagues everyone in general. Every away game is going to be a challenge. The fans are always going to show up. You have to focus on the details and do our job.”

Safety Andre Turrentine and the Vol defense has not given up a touchdown all season. They have given up only 3 plays of 20+ yards in three games and one of those came late last week in the 71-0 win. Oklahoma’s offense hasn’t been high octane to this point in 2024, but quarterback Jackson Arnold certainly has everyone’s attention. 

“Every week we come in with a mindset of preparation in how we prepare from the front end to the back end as a group. Prepping the same way every week has allowed us to be successful in that regard,” Turrentine said of limiting big plays.

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