Tennessee football lost a key piece in the tight end room when Jack Van Dorselaer hit the transfer portal and landed at Oklahoma. But the Vols didn’t waste time filling that void. Over the weekend, they got their guy - South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas, who announced his commitment to Tennessee on social media.
Thomas brings size and experience to the position, standing 6-foot-5 and tipping the scales at 254 pounds. He’s coming off his redshirt-sophomore season with the Jaguars and has two years of eligibility left. While his receiving numbers won’t jump off the page - four catches for 34 yards across 12 games (eight starts) last season - his value lies elsewhere.
This is a classic case of fit over flash. Thomas isn’t coming to Knoxville to stretch the field or rack up targets.
He’s here to do the dirty work - block in the run game, protect the quarterback, and give Tennessee a physical presence at the line of scrimmage. His 2025 PFF grade may have hovered around 46.9 overall, but his pass-blocking score of 61.9 points to where he can make an impact.
Looking back, Thomas has been gradually carving out a role. In 2024, he played in all 13 games and started five, though he recorded just one catch for five yards.
As a true freshman in 2023, he saw the field once. It’s been a slow build, but the tools are there - and Tennessee is betting on that development curve continuing in Knoxville.
The Vols’ tight end room is shaping up with a clear structure. Ethan Davis is the headliner, entering his redshirt-junior season as the most complete option.
He arrived with a reputation as a natural pass catcher, but over time, he’s rounded out his game. Now, he’s the kind of tight end the staff trusts to stay on the field in any situation - whether it’s third-and-long or goal-line power.
Behind him, Dasaahn Brame is one to watch. A highly touted four-star recruit, Brame just wrapped up his true freshman year.
Like Davis before him, he’s got the receiving chops, but the challenge now is adding size and refining his blocking. With Van Dorselaer gone and veteran Miles Kitselman having graduated, Brame is in line for a bigger role - assuming he takes that next step.
Then there’s depth. Redshirt-sophomore Cole Harrison and true freshman Luca Wolf round out the group. Both are developmental pieces for now, but with a full offseason ahead, the competition in that room should be fierce.
Adding Thomas gives Tennessee a reliable in-line option - a guy who can help stabilize the position while the younger, more dynamic athletes continue to grow. It’s not the kind of move that makes national headlines, but it’s the type that can quietly pay off in the trenches on Saturdays.