The biggest challenge for Tennessee tight ends trying to crack the lineup isn’t whether they can catch passes from quarterbacks Faizon Brandon and George MacIntyre.
It’s whether they can block for them.
“It starts with (pass) protection,” tight ends coach Alec Abeln said. “If you can’t protect, it’s really hard to trust you and put you on the field. If we can’t protect, the (offensive) coordinator has to call it differently.”
That poses a big question: Are Tennessee’s best tight ends capable of blocking at an elite level?
Ethan Davis has had to answer that question his whole career. He’s been a play-making receiver with 390 yards and four TDs. But UT has paired him with transfer tight ends who were more capable blockers like McCallan Castles, Holden
Staes and Miles Kitselman.
Plus, Davis has been plagued by injuries. He’s been limited in preseason practice for precautionary reasons surrounding a minor injury.
DaSaahn Brame arrived at Tennessee in 2025 with a skillset similar to Davis as an athletic pass-catching tight end. He had six catches for 63 yards during his freshman season. But coaches challenged him to gain strength and become a better blocker.
How Alec Abeln challenged tight ends to be hammers
The Vols have been in shorts and shoulder pads so far in preseason practice. They’ll soon put on full pads and begin live scrimmaging. That’s when the tight end rotation becomes clearer.
Davis and Brame bulked up to become better blockers in new strength coach Derek Owings’ offseason program. Davis is 6-foot-5, 247 pounds. Brame is 6-5, 240.
But Abeln said he’s looking for more than just raw strength.
“Physicality is a choice. You’re either making the decision to be physical or you’re not,” Abeln said. “I think when you turn on the tape, there really shouldn’t be a question of whether you’re being the hammer or the nail, whether you enjoy it or not.”
Transfer Trent Thomas could be blocking tight end
Jack Van Dorselaer was supposed to be UT’s blocking tight end this season after playing in the rotation as a freshman. But he transferred to Oklahoma in January, forcing UT to turn to Plan B.
The Vols often utilized two tight ends in formations the past two seasons, and Abeln said they’ve discussed packages with three tight ends. But that won’t happen if coaches don’t trust tight ends to block as pass protectors or in the run game.
South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas, a 6-5, 254-pounder, may be the best option beyond Davis and Brame. He was a two-year starter at South Alabama. He made only four receptions last season, but he’s an experienced blocker.
“For Trent, when pads come on, he’s been in the C-gap in this league before (facing SEC teams while at South Alabama),” Abeln said. “And I think just having a little bit of that certainly helps. By the time you play your third, fourth year of college football, you’ve pretty much seen everything.”
Luca Wolf, Austrian from NFL Academy, could get mix
Transfer Drake Martinez, junior Cole Harrison and freshman Luca Wolf are other options.
Martinez was a late addition in the portal. Tennessee is his sixth school in his college career, which includes redshirts to extend his eligibility. Martinez spent two seasons at Colorado State, one season at McNeese State, one season at Houston Christian and one season at UT Martin.
Harrison has played five games over the past two seasons.
Wolf, a native of Vienna, Austria, is intriguing. UT discovered him at the NFL UK Academy near London. He’s a tremendous athlete and fearless competitor. But like every tight end, he’ll need to prove his physicality and fundamentals as a blocker.
“I think (Wolf) has absolutely given himself a chance to be a real contributor this fall,” Abeln said. “Obviously, you won’t find out until pads come on and until these next couple of weeks go by. But mentally he's so mature, so smart, knows the game at a much higher level.”
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Tennessee's tight ends are a question mark for Faizon Brandon, George MacIntyre
