After a late transfer portal loss of Jack Van Dorselaer, who ended up at Oklahoma, Tennessee football was tasked with finding a replacement at his position. On Saturday, the Vols sealed the deal with a big-bodied option as South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas revealed his commitment to UT on his X.
Thomas just rounded out his redshirt-sophomore season and will have two years of eligibility remaining. This past year with the Jaguars, he played in 12 games and started in eight.
During this time, he produced four receptions for 34 yards. He earned a PFF grade of 46.9 on the year, but his best mark was as a pass blocker, at 61.9.
In 2024, Thomas played in all 13 games and made five starts. He caught one pass for five yards that year. As a true freshman in 2023, he appeared in just one game.
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Thomas is listed at 6-foot-5 and 254 pounds. He’ll likely be used primarily as a blocking tight end, just like Van Dorselaer was as a true freshman a year ago.
The starter in the tight end room is Ethan Davis, who is also entering his redshirt-junior year. He came in as a natural pass catcher, but had to grow as a blocker. Now, he’s a well-rounded piece that the staff is comfortable playing the majority of snaps.
Behind Davis on the current roster is Dasaahn Brame. He was a highly-rated four-star recruit and just rounded out his true freshman year. He joined the team like Davis, a gifted receiver, but is being tasked with adding weight and growing as a blocker. With Van Dorselaer out of the picture and Miles Kitselman graduated, he could see an increased role this year.
The other two options on the roster are redshirt-sophomore Cole Harrison and true freshman Luca Wolf.
