Tennessee middle linebacker Keenan Pili will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury, as announced by head coach Josh Heupel on Monday.
Pili, a seventh-year senior, sustained a torn ACL during the first quarter of Saturday’s 23-17 overtime victory against Florida. The former BYU player is currently tied for the team lead with 29 tackles this season, along with 1.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries.
This marks Pili’s third career-ending injury; he was a three-year starter at BYU before joining Tennessee ahead of the 2023 season. He played only three games in 2021 after suffering a torn ACL and also had a torn triceps in last year’s season opener against Virginia.
After missing nearly two full seasons due to injuries, Pili was granted a special waiver by the NCAA to play a seventh year of college football. Following Saturday’s game, Heupel spoke highly of the Las Vegas native.
“I don’t think you can find a better example of what it means to be a Volunteer than Keenan Pili,” Heupel stated. “He’s a selfless individual who prioritizes others over himself — an elite competitor, a great leader, incredibly tough, athletic, and explosive — everything you desire in a player. He’s just an exceptional guy.”
No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1) will face No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1) in the annual “Third Saturday in October” rivalry at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on ABC.
Leave a Reply