Keenan Pili injury update: Josh Heupel shares severity, timeline on Tennessee LB

Tennessee has lost Keenan Pili for the season after the update on the linebacker on Monday.

Josh Heupel announced today that Pili suffered a torn ACL this past weekend against Florida. That diagnosis will now end his year with the Volunteers. With that, Heupel expressed their disappointment about that for him considering what all he has meant to their program over his pair of seasons on Rocky Top.

“Yeah, Keenan had an injury, an ACL. He’ll be done for the season,” Heupel shared during his press conference.

“Keenan – I said it after the game. There’s nobody that represents Tennessee better than him. He’s a great leader and will continue to be that inside of our building,” said Heupel. “Just, you know, heartbroken for him and his family. A guy that does absolutely everything right and, you know, is special. A special player but a special person too. He has got a great future.”

Pili exited on the first defensive drive against the Gators. He walked off on his own but was ruled out for the remainder of the game soon after for UT.

Pili was the leading tackler for Tennessee’s defense through their six game. He had posted 29 tackles, two of those being for loss, for one of the top units in the country on that side of the ball so far this fall. That included a lone tackle against Florida in what will be his final statistic of the season.

Pili is in his seventh season of college football after five at BYU and then the last two at Tennessee. Unfortunately, though, both of his years with the Vols will finish due to season-ending injuries after hurting his tricep in last season’s opener.

In his collegiate career overall, Pili has totaled 223 tackles, 15 for loss, with 3.5 sacks, four deflections, and two fumble recoveries with one forced.

With this, Tennessee will have to look to other linebackers on the depth chart for the middle of their defense. Jeremiah Telander was next as who’s most likely to be the starter there now with Edwin Spillman as the reserve at that spot. Other options could also be under consideration from the opposite backer position.

Losing Pili early on for the second consecutive season is brutal both for him and for Tennessee. That experience and production will be a lot to make up for as they go into the second half of their season without him anymore.