Tennessee football clearly has the intention of going to 12 personnel a good amount this season. With not much depth at the wide receiver spots, getting a second tight end on the field can go a long way in covering up some of those woes. In the 46-25 win over Syracuse, Miles Kitselman and Ethan Davis shared the field for a good bit of the game.
When throwing in the handful of snaps that Jack Van Dorselaer and Dasaahn Brame played, the group combined for 110 snaps in the game. This meant that of the 70 snaps, 40 of them featured the two-tight end look.
While it was Kitselman who led the way with 63 snaps, Davis recorded 39 snaps. In this time, he got a target, but couldn’t reel it in to record any stats as a pass catcher. However, that didn’t mean he didn’t make an impact on the afternoon. Instead, he stepped up as a crucial blocker in both pass protection and the run game.
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“We had him a couple times. Didn’t end up connecting to him,” Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle said. “One time the ball went in another direction that he ran a beautiful route on. I feel like he’s a guy that can create mismatch opportunities for us, especially as you get closer to the end zone. He’s a big-time player. Did an elite job blocking in the core. That guy has come a long way blocking. He had a big-time game, so did Kits(elman), had a couple big-time catches for us where him and Joey actually got on the same page. Two of those were broken plays that they just got on the same page on. One a big first down, one a big touchdown there to seal it at the end. So I feel like that room is operating at a really high level. They’re coached very well. They’re all ready to play in multiple different spots that we have for them. So it’s a room that we can use again in competitive advantages on Saturday.”
It’s been a lot of work for Davis to get to this point as a blocker. He joined the team with a lean frame and fit the billing more as a wide receiver than a tight end. After putting on extreme muscle, he looks and plays like a completely different player than when he was a freshman.
Davis will certainly remain part of the game plan going forward, as well. As Halzle laid out, he can create a lot of mismatches with his size and athleticism through the air. He was almost split out like a slot receiver at times against Syracuse, despite the 12 personnel. Now, he just has to put it all together and turn the hypotheticals into a reality.
The next game against ETSU could be an opportunity for Davis to gain some momentum in the pass game. The Vols will host the in-state, FCS foe at 3:30 p.m. ET on SECN+/ESPN+. It will serve as the home opener before Tennessee welcomes Georgia into town the following weekend.
