Tennessee middle linebacker Keenan Pili is out for the season with a knee injury, head coach Josh Heupel announced Monday.

Pili, a seventh-grader, suffered a torn ACL in the first quarter of Saturday’s 23-17 overtime win against Florida. The former BYU transfer is tied for the Volunteers’ team lead with 29 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries this season.

This is the third season-ending injury for Pili, who was a three-year starter at BYU before transferring to Tennessee prior to the 2023 season. He missed all but three games with a torn ACL in 2021 and suffered a torn triceps in the season opener against Virginia last year.

Because Pili missed nearly two full seasons due to injury, he received special dispensation from the NCAA to return for his seventh year of college football. Heupel had high praise for the Las Vegas native after Saturday’s game.

“I’m not sure there’s a better representative of what a volunteer is than Keenan Pili,” Heupel said. “You’re talking about a selfless guy who cares far more about the people around him than himself, who is an elite competitor, a great leader, tough, athletic, explosive – you name it.” Just… he’s a dude, man. A special guy.”

No. 11 Tennessee (5-1, 2-1) hosts No. 7 Alabama (5-1, 2-1) in the annual “Third Saturday in October” matchup on Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The game begins at 2:30 p.m. on ABC.