The Tennessee Vols lost their top two tight ends -- Jacob Warren and McCallan Castles -- from last year's roster to the NFL, but it could still be a position that's a strength for UT in 2024.
VolQuest's Austin Price joined 104.5 The Zone's Ramon, Kayla, and Will on Tuesday and he detailed how the tight end position could be an unexpected luxury for Tennessee this fall.
"I think it changes by the day," said Price when asked what UT's tight end rotation will look like in the season-opener against Chattanooga. "I think going into the scrimmage (last Friday night), I would've told you Miles Kitselman. Coming out of the scrimmage, you could say Ethan Davis -- not that Kitselman did anything wrong, Ethan Davis had a really strong scrimmage. And it could easily, by next week, be Holden Staes.
I think this is a really close competition. Tennessee likes all three. All three provide something different. All three are going to play. I think back when you went into spring practice you thought this is Holden Staes and Ethan Davis. And Miles Kitselman was kind of like this 'oh he's a nice depth piece they brought in from Alabama, kind of gives them a little depth on the back end in case of injury'. And then Miles Kitselman ended up being really, really good and surprising a ton of people during the spring. He could easily be Tennessee's starter coming up in just over two weeks. I think they're all three going to play. I think it's a nice luxury to have if you're (Vols tight ends coach) Alec Abeln and (offensive coordinator) Joey Halzle and (head coach) Josh Heupel. I expect Tennessee to use all of those guys wisely. They all kinda bring something a little different. They all kind of have a different skillset."
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The tight end position is extremely important in Tennessee's offense, even though it's not a position that's put up gaudy numbers during Josh Heupel's first three seasons leading the program.
But that could be changing in 2024.
With Nico Iamaleava set to start for the Vols, there's a feeling that we'll see more dynamic play calling this fall than what we saw from Tennessee with Joe Milton under center last season.
And with the elite talent that Tennessee has at tight end in Ethan Davis, Holden Staes, and Miles Kitselman, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Vols' tight ends more involved in the pass game (beyond blocking).
The tight end position at Tennessee, as a whole, has averaged 39 receptions per season under Heupel.
I'd expect that number to rise quite a bit in 2024 with the embarrassment of riches that the Vols currently have at the tight end position
Related: Former Vols OC Alex Golesh gets candid about taking over a tough situation at Tennessee in 2021
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