Next man up mentality: Tennessee takes a hit at the tight end position

By Sawyer Hunley

At his press conference on Monday, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel announced that starting tight end Ethan Davis would miss the remainder of the season with an ACL tear.

Davis sustained the injury in the game against Georgia Tech, which Tennessee won 45-24.

Davis had already recorded three catches in the season, two of which were for touchdowns.

The junior tight end was not only an integral part of the Volunteers’ passing game but also a key piece of the running game, making many key blocks to spring the running backs free.

“This game requires the next man up. You’ve gotta be prepared for when your opportunity arises,” Heupel said.

For those next men up, first in line behind Ethan Davis is DaSaahn Brame, who has seen limited snaps for Tennessee but has been effective when given an opportunity.

In his career, the sophomore has only seven receptions for a total of 70 yards and no touchdowns.

While those numbers definitely don’t jump off the page, it’s what doesn’t go in the stat book that makes the young tight end such an asset.

In Heupel’s offense, tight ends are a key piece in run blocking, as Tennessee often puts multiple tight ends in the game as blockers.

This is where Brame can make his impact felt.

Another tight end who must step up for the Vols is junior Trent Thomas.

Thomas is a transfer from South Alabama, where he played two seasons for the Jaguars.

The newcomer saw some action in the first game against Furman, but truly began to see the field later in the second half against Georgia Tech after Davis sustained his injury.

Thomas, like Brame, will be a vital part of Tennessee’s run game to try and help cut guys like DeSean Bishop and Javin Gordon loose.

While these two will still be a huge help for this Volunteer offense in the running game, Tennessee will still need someone to emerge to help out the young quarterback, Faizon Brandon, in the passing game.

“Next guy’s gotta be prepared and take advantage of their opportunity. You’ve seen a lot of those guys play already this year, and they’ve just gotta continue to grow and step into that role,” Heupel said.

The head coach will quickly learn whether those tight ends are ready to make that jump as Tennessee is set to play Kennesaw State this Saturday, with kickoff at 7:45 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.