Vols HC Josh Heupel says Tennessee 'needed' under-the-radar player to return for the 2024 season

Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel says UT "needed" offensive lineman Dayne Davis to return to Rocky Top for his final season of eligibility.

Davis, who started his career with the Vols in 2019 as a walk-on, announced in late January that he planned to return to UT for his final season.

The Tennessee native has played some important snaps for the Vols over the last several years. Davis has played every position along the offensive line, most recently playing at tackle in Tennessee's win against Oklahoma with starter Lance Heard sidelined.

Davis has also played guard and center at times for the Vols. If someone can't go, Davis is essentially the safety valve. He may not be a future NFL player, but Heupel and the Tennessee coaching staff know they can play Davis anywhere on the offensive line and he'll give the team some quality snaps.

That position flexibility, along with his under-the-radar leadership, is a big reason why Heupel said this week on Vol Calls that Tennessee "needed" Davis to return in 2024.

"His position flexibility, really unique to have a guy like that in the room," said Heupel. "[He's] a little bit like Ollie (Lane) was, where he was moving all over the place on the interior a year ago. But Dayne's a great story. Being here at Tennessee, it matters to him. And you can feel that from him every single day. He doesn't take anything for granted. He's a guy that as a young player, continued to grow. Pushed, worked, grew. And [he] earned the opportunity to be on scholarship and to go out and play well. And he's played well for us for a long time. He's a great leader for us, too. That's something that a lot of people may not know."

"We needed him to come back (for his final season of eligibility)," added Heupel. "Because he's a good player, but also [of] his makeup as a leader. He's a huge part of the culture that we have in the room."

Davis didn't play any snaps for the Vols during his first two seasons at UT (2019 and 2020...when Jeremy Pruitt was Tennessee's head coach). In 2021, Davis played in all 13 games and made three starts at right tackle.

Two years ago, during the Vols' 11-2 season in 2022, Davis played in all 13 games and saw some important snaps at tackle.

Last season, Davis again played in all 13 games for the Vols, making three starts at right tackle while also seeing some snaps at center early in the season. He's played in all four games so far in 2024 for the Vols (with two starts).

Davis the type of player that doesn't receive much hype, but he's critical to the Vols' success. The fact that Davis is an East Tennessee native makes his contributions to the UT football program even more special.

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