Tennessee got another look at fall camp on Saturday morning, and Ethan Davis was not among the tight ends in the portion of practice open to the media.
That followed his participation in the first practice of camp, then a day off on Friday. The latest absence adds another small checkpoint on Davis’ status, though tight ends coach Alec Abeln already described Thursday’s absence as precautionary rather than a major concern. With less than a month left before the opener against Furman, Tennessee clearly has time to be patient if Davis is not fully healthy.
And there’s a reason the Vols don’t need to force the issue. Davis enters camp as the clear No. 1 tight end in the room, bringing back the most experience at the position.
Last season, the fourth-year player caught 21 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. He also made noticeable strides as an in-line blocker, and his two best receiving outings came when Miles Kitselman was out - at Florida and against Vanderbilt.
Behind Davis, the picture is still taking shape. Tennessee has returners DaSaahn Brame and Cole Harrison, freshman Luca Wolf, and transfers Trent Thomas from South Alabama and Drake Martinez from UT Martin. The group brings a mix of skill sets, but Abeln made it clear the Vols want more than one-dimensional tight ends.
“When we recruit guys, there’s different body types in the room, but ultimately we’re not looking to play with a ‘Y’ that’s just a blocker and an ‘F’ that’s just a route runner,” Abeln said. “For us to operate as best as we can as an offense, we want guys that are true combo, have the ability to do all of it.
Now, it can look different ways and different skill sets for different guys, but for us to be our best, those guys have to be able to do the stuff in the box. And the guys that are a little bit bigger, man, they have to be functional and do a good job in space as well.”
Tennessee opens the season against Furman on September 5 in Neyland Stadium, then travels to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech on September 12. That matchup is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
In Other News...
Tennessee Camp Is Already Revealing Early Depth Chart Pressure
Tennessees third fall camp practice brought more of the usual late-summer sorting, with limited media access and a few familiar names either sidelined or working in a restricted capacity. Ethan Davis and Ty Redmond were among the players absent or held out of contact for precautionary reasons or illness, which only adds to the early pressure on a roster where every rep matters and the first weeks of camp can start shaping the conversation around the depth chart.
The encouraging part for the Volunteers was the look of some of the freshmen, who continued to draw attention for what they bring physically and how quickly they are adjusting. Joel Wyatt and Luca Wolf both showed promising traits and signs of progress, the kind of early-camp development that can help a staff feel better about the back end of the roster even before the competition really tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Marshall Manning's First Football Debut Will Hit Home For Vols Fans
The Manning name is about to pop up on a Tennessee-area football field again, and this time it belongs to Marshall Manning, the freshman quarterback at Baylor School. Peyton Mannings son made his varsity debut in a preseason scrimmage against Buford, entering in the second quarter as he begins what is expected to be a backup role this season.
For Vols fans, it is the kind of small but notable moment that will always carry extra weight around Knoxville, where Peyton Manning remains a defining figure in program history. Baylor School came out on the short end of a 20-13 result, but the bigger storyline was simply seeing a new Manning take his first varsity snaps in a setting that felt a little bigger than a typical preseason tune-up. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Just Lost A Key Linebacker And The Staff Is Fuming
Tennessee got a frustrating answer from the NCAA this week, with linebacker Arion Carter sidelined after an issue tied to a $427 flight he took during the pre-draft process. Carter repaid the money after deciding to return to college, but the decision still resulted in a suspension that has drawn clear disappointment from the Vols staff, including head coach Josh Heupel and linebackers coach William Inge.
The timing makes it sting even more for a defense that wanted Carter available right away, and now Tennessee will have to open without one of its key linebackers. The suspension keeps him out of the first two games, including matchups against Furman and Georgia Tech, leaving the Vols to shuffle their plans while they wait for one of their more important defenders to return. [Read more 🡒]