The Tennessee Volunteers narrowly avoided their second straight loss over the weekend, coming away from their annual showdown with the Florida Gators with a 23-17 overtime victory.
The win wasn’t without issue for the Volunteers, though. Senior linebacker and defensive captain Keenan Pili left the game with a knee injury and did not return.
On Monday, Vols head coach Josh Heupel confirmed the fanbase’s worst fears. Pilli will miss the rest of the season with a torn right ACL, ending his college career.
“I said it after the [Florida] game that there’s nobody that represents Tennessee better than him. He’s a great leader and will continue to be that inside of our building. Heartbroken for him and his family. A guy that does absolutely everything right. Special player, but a special person, too. He’s got a great future,” Heupel said during Monday’s media availability via ESPN.
Pili, a seventh-year senior, started his collegiate career with the BYU Cougars, redshirting in 2016 and taking 2017-19 to serve a two-year church mission.
He recorded 190 tackles from 2019-22 with BYU before deciding to transfer to Tennessee. He appeared in just one game for the Vols in 2023 before tearing his triceps and garnering a medical redshirt to return for the 2024 season.
Pili is tied for Tennessee’s lead in tackles this year with 29, 14 of which came in the Vols’ 19-14 loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks on October 5. He has played a pivotal role in Tennessee being ranked in the top 5 in defensive yards allowed and points allowed.
The Volunteers return to action next Saturday for their annual showdown with the Alabama Crimson Tide.
[ESPN]
