A position group that’s built for a strong future on Tennessee football is its tight end room. The Vols not only have top-end talent in Ethan Davis, who has two years of eligibility left, but also young pieces behind him that could make an early impact.
Davis projects as the team’s starter at tight end after being used typically in a second-string role behind Miles Kitselman last year. On the season, he caught 21 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns while impressing as a blocker, as well.
Behind Davis will likely be sophomore Dasaahn Brame. A true pass-catching threat, Brame is being asked to grow as a complete tight end with Jack Van Dorselaer entering the portal and landing at Oklahoma. In limited chances, Brame caught six passes for 63 yards, but showed flashes of his potential as a receiving option.
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Behind Davis and Brame, it’s more of an open competition for who could be inserted. With Tennessee using more and more 12 personnel, it leaves chances for more tight ends to get on the field, especially if they’re strong blockers.
The Vols added a pair of transfers at the position this offseason. This features redshirt-junior Trent Thomas out of South Alabama and redshirt-senior Drake Martinez out of UT Martin. Both haven’t been big catching threats in their careers, but could be inserted into that blocking role.
Another name to keep an eye on and one of the stars of the Orange and White Game is Cole Harrison. He enters his redshirt-sophomore year and is transforming into an all-around tight end. UT also brings in a freshman, three-star Luca Wolf, from Europe.
“I think it has been good,” Tennessee tight ends coach Alec Abeln said on the physicality during spring. “I think Ethan in particular, man, if there was any question about him in the core going into a year ago, there’s zero doubt in my mind now. Really cool to see guys that come in at that spot and develop over the time that they’ve been here. Not just technique and fundamentals, but mentality, embracing it and enjoying it. I do think they still need meat on the bone for the whole unit for sure, and I think we’ll get there. But they don’t feel like a bunch of receivers every day, you know?”
