DaSaahn Brame has an opportunity in front of him. With Tennessee football starting tight end Ethan Davis sidelined for precautionary reasons, he's been taking snaps with the first team offense in preseason practices.
Brame is a capable pass-catcher but whether or he can break into the Vols' rotation during the regular season is depends on if a physical transformation this offseason translates to better, more consistent blocking. Listed at at 240 pounds − 21 pounds heavier than he was last season − Brame feels like a more complete tight end.
"Last year, I knew what I was doing, but it was hard to get myself into position and be able to sustain that with how light I was," he said on Aug. 14. “One of my first in-line blocks (this year), I was able to get my hands
inside and sit it down and it’s like ‘Yeah, this feels different.’ "
The extra weight Brame added to his 6-foot-5 frame is apparent to tight ends coach Alec Abeln, too, and he's eager to see how the sophomore takes advantage of his chance to run with Tennessee's top offensive unit.
"The work that those guys have done in the weight room, on the field; those guys are moving better, they're stronger, they're more explosive, allowing him to translate in the box a little bit more," Abeln said on Aug. 6. "Really excited to see what he'll do this camp."
Brame caught six passes for 63 yards over nine games during in 2025 and he's energized seeing a path to more playing time materialize.
“It gives everyone, the young guy especially, a little more confidence going in there and doing it,” Brame said.
Working mostly as a bigger receiver in high school, Brame has strong hands and can run sharp routes. He figures to be a threat whenever the Vols reach the red zone, but with two inexperienced quarterbacks competing for the starting job, Brame knows excelling in pass protection is key for anyone who wants to earn snaps.
He needed to embrace the dirty work that comes with playing as an in-line tight end more often. Meshing some added muscle mass with his pass-catching prowess, Brame is poised to become a more complete player.
“It's the mindset switch," Brame said. "The biggest thing for me was to kind of go hunt contact and being confident with how much weight I’ve gained and my body size that I’m able to go do that.”
Stephen Thompson covers Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball. Email him at stephen.thompson@knoxnews.com and follow him on X @stephenethom.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Can tight end DaSaahn Brame push for bigger role in Tennessee football offense?
