Tennessee is inching closer to its season opener against Virginia at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Sept. 2.

The Vols held their sixth practice of fall camp on Tuesday morning at Haslam Field with the first two periods open to the media.

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Tennessee defensive line coach Rodney Garner met with the media afterward as the Vols' front four looks to replace Byron Young and build off of last season's success.

Here are three takeaways.

For the first time under the current coaching staff, the Tennessee defense has depth at its disposal.

The Vols have struggled on that side of the ball the last two seasons, but showed marked improvement a year ago, particularly up front where they were among the best run-stoppers in the SEC.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Tennessee football DL coach Rodney Garner details fall camp

Tennessee used to the transfer portal to its advantage there, as well, bringing in tackle Omarr Norman-Lott from Arizona State.

Norman-Lott totaled 14 tackles, two tackles for loss and two sacks in nine games and two starts last season and add experience opposite of returning starter Omari Thomas.

"I definitely think Omarr is an upgrade for us," Garner said. "He's a young man that's got a body of work, even though it was in a different conference. He's got a little bit more maturity to him and then when you sit there and look at him, he has a skill set. He has power, he has initial quickness. He knows how to maneuver his body and naturally makes some plays and can really run."

Norman-Lott had to shed some weight when he arrived in the spring and spent the offseason slimming down, according to Garner. The result has allowed Norman-Lott to use his speed.

"The thing I thought initially coming into (spring), he was a little too heavy," Garner said. "I think now he's starting to trim down and his athleticism is starting to show even more. I think as he continues to get himself into better shape, I think we will see an even much better product than what he's shown so far."

Tennessee's biggest loss on defense was edge Byron Young, who turned a productive 2022 season into a fourth round NFL Draft selection.

The Vols aren't void of talent or experience at the position, though.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Tennessee football defensive linemen speak to the media after practice

Roman Harrison played in 47 games in four seasons and totaled a career-high 39 tackles, 7.0 TFLs and 3.0 sacks behind Young last season. He's expected to replace Young as the starter in his final season of eligibility.

"My overall game and just my approach to the game (has improved)," Harrison said. "I've tried to work on my technique. I felt like I was already fast and strong and all that good stuff, but my technique and how I used my hands was a big thing that coach (Garner) is always on me about, so I worked on that this fall."

The rest of the room includes Joshua Josephs who saw action as a freshman last season, finishing with 2.5 tackles and a sack in 12 games and James Pearce Jr. who appeared in 13 games with two sacks.

"I think you've got length (at the LEO position). You've got athleticism," Garner said. "You're looking like a championship caliber room is supposed to look. Obviously, we all got to continue to get stronger. We all got to continue to get more explosive...But I do like the athleticism and I like the guys being willing to buy in."

The LEO position—along with the rest of the four-man front—will be key in Tennessee's improvement in pass rushing.

The Vols were able to get into the backfield against opposing offenses last season, racking up 77 TFLs for nearly 400 yards. The emphasis in camp is being able to get to the quarterback in passing situations.

WATCH ON VOLREPORT: Tennessee football: Notes and observations from fall camp practice No. 6

"Coming out of last season, one the things we said self-scouting was we've got to become a better four-man pass-rush team," Garner said. "We can't always rely on bringing five or bringing six. We've got to be able to effect the quarterback with a four-man rush and we've also got to be able to finish the rush. A couple of times we had some good rushes but then we did a poor job of knocking the quarterback down. We didn't maintain our rush integrity, our lanes. Didn't do a good job of keeping them in the pocket.

"There are some elite guys that can really run, but that's part of the job description...We did a really good job as far as TFLs, but we've got to do a better job of being a four-man pass rush."

Harrison had a hand in that TFL total and is looking to improve in the pass rush after Young tallied seven sacks and 14 quarterback hurries.

"In this league, everybody is fast and everybody is strong," Harrison said. "I would say it's your will. I would say it's your strain. Are you going to get beat on this block? Are you going to try to beat it or are you going to just stay there? It's just about, are you willing to finish? At this level, everybody is already physical. I feel like that's what separates you."

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