Elijah Simmons was coming off of a productive fall camp amid a transformation that provided a promising start to his redshirt senior season.

Then he was injured.

Simmons was working towards his most productive campaign yet on Tennessee's defensive line but instead missed the first four games of the Vols' 2023 season.

Simmons worked his way back on to the field for the South Carolina game at the end of September and has logged at least one tackle in each of the Vols' last five games but it was in Tennessee's 59-3 win over UConn last week that Simmons displayed the kind of potential the coaching staff had seen from him last spring.

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"Obviously, I think (Simmons) is getting healthier," Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner said. "He had a good spring. He was having a good camp, so he got hurt, he was out until midseason. So just getting himself back in shape and just becoming more consistent. I thought he probably did play his best game he has played since we've been here. So there's still much room for improvement and I think he knows that. He's just got to keep pressing and pick up where he left off."

Simmons played the second most snaps on the defensive line at 27 and accounted for a season-high four tackles and a tackle for loss.

"I was just doing what was asked of me," Simmons said. "In practice, I was just trying to get vertical in the gaps and try not to get cut out on things like that. Just doing exactly what was told of me and it showed up in the game."

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It was a process for Simmons to go from being sidelined with injury to seeing his most significant playing time of the season in the span of less than two months.

Part of his rehab included staying in game shape, which has been a struggle for the 6-foot-2, 340-pound Simmons at different points in his career.

"For a guy to be out 7-8 weeks, you really worry about, especially a big guy that's show, had a history of struggling with gaining weight and all that," Garner said. "We were pleased that he didn't let it just get out of control."

Simmons had to battle the mental aspect of missing time, too.

Going from what coaches called his best spring practices to a strong fall camp and then an injury that caused weeks of being in the training facilities instead of on the field didn't get in the way of Simmons' mentality.

"Just trying to keep the same exact mindset that I had when I was going throughout camp," Simmons said. "Not feeling down on myself. I knew I was going to come back eventually, so just trying to maintain weight and be way better when I get back."

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Tennessee football players meet with media on Tuesday

As Tennessee enters its final stretch, seemingly playing its best football at a critical juncture in the season, Simmons is playing his best football, too—and he's feeling better.

"During the season, you'll probably never bee 100% (healthy), but as the games go on, I'm gradually getting better and better," Simmons said. "I'm feeling better now. I'm feeling good, actually."

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