Tennessee pass rush has seen significant growth since last season.

The Vols had 31 sacks all of last season. They’ve already racked up 22 sacks through just 5 games this season. James Pearce leads the way for the Vols’ defense with 5 sacks already on the year and Tyler Baron is just behind him with 4. Last season, only one Vol had more than 3 sacks on the year.

The uptick from the defense is due to several things. Josh Heupel detailed why Tennessee’s pass rush has improved this season during the SEC coaches teleconference Wednesday.

One thing making a difference is just the sheer talent of the defensive line.

“One, the recruitment of some of the defensive linemen,” Heupel said. “Adding length, athleticism, the development those guys and the guys that have been here on this roster the entire time.”

Another reason is players understanding the defensive scheme more. The defensive line is clicking well and the secondary compliments them, something Tennessee didn’t see much of last season.

“Understanding of the scheme, so that we’re playing and doing the right things at the right time,” Heupel said. “That can be twist games when you’re trying to apply pressure with your front 4. We’ve been better getting to the quarterback with a 4-man rush, which changes the coverages that you’re able to play on the back end. But it all plays off of each other as well. Our secondary doing a better job, ability to play press man and win, and force the quarterback to hold on to it another count. Or some of our bracket coverages or zone drops being in the right spot, where again, you force the quarterback to hold on to it.”

Tennessee is hoping its defensive front will continue the strong play this weekend as the Vols take on Texas A&M. Tennessee is fresh off a bye week and his momentum from a dominant win over South Carolina where the Vols picked up 6 sacks on the night.