Ethan Davis is on track to be there when Tennessee kicks off the season against Furman on Saturday.
That’s the update Josh Heupel delivered this week, easing any concern around the starting tight end after Davis missed multiple weeks of preseason practice following a scare on the first day of camp in early August. Heupel said Davis has returned to practice and “looks really good” after ramping back up over the past week.
The Vols open at 3:30 p.m. with the game set for ESPN+/SEC Network+, and Davis’ return gives Tennessee a major piece back in the offense.
At 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, Davis has spent the last two seasons waiting for a full-time shot. As a redshirt freshman in 2024, he was behind Miles Kitselman and Holden Staes on the depth chart. Last season, he moved into the No. 2 role, but a shoulder problem knocked him out for four games in the middle of the year.
Once he came back, Davis finished strong. He hauled in 20 catches for 256 yards and two touchdowns over the final five regular-season games. That stretch included a touchdown catch over the middle in his return at Kentucky, a short catch down the sideline for the opening score in the win at Florida, a 40-yard grab against Oklahoma and a seven-catch, 85-yard day against Vanderbilt.
Davis also enters the opener as the veteran leader in a tight end room that now includes sophomore DaSaahn Brame, South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas and freshman Luca Wolf.
His camp absence started after he was shaken up during a competitive drill against the defensive backs on the first day of preseason work in helmets and shorts. Tight ends coach Alec Abeln downplayed the issue the next day.
“Yeah, he’s good,” Abeln said. “Just probably being a little - I don’t know the right word - probably precautious with that, but he’ll be fine.”
Still, Davis stayed out for the next two weeks and sat out both preseason scrimmages, which gave the other tight ends more chances to work. Now, though, Tennessee expects him back in uniform when the Vols line up against Furman.
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