Tight end is a position of need, and the Vols have added one to their 2024 class. Cole Harrison announced he was committing to Tennessee on Tuesday night.
The 6-foot-5, 220-pound tight end committed to Tennessee over Washington State, Houston and Pitt among others.
From San Mateo, California, Harrison is unranked by 247Sports Composite. 247Sports does rank him as a three-star prospect and the No. 38 tight end in the class. He also ranks as the No. 46 prospect from California by the outlet.
Harrison hails from Junipero Serra, California. During his senior season, Harrison caught 32 passes for 601 yards and eight touchdowns. Harrison becomes the only tight-end commitment in the 2024 class for the Vols after Johnathan Echols flipped to USF.
Alec Abeln’s group had one of the most productive seasons from the tight end position in recent Tennessee memory. It was orchestrated by veterans Jacob Warren and McCallan Castles. Both of those players, however, are out of eligibility.
That leaves Tennessee’s tight end room with upcoming sophomores Ethan Davis and Emmanuel Okoye. Okoye is still learning how to play football, hailing from overseas. He also was walking around with a cast on his wrist following the Vols’ season finale.
Davis is a pass-catching tight end who shined in the Orange and White game. His connection with Nico Iamaleava was evident in the game, where Davis also suffered a broken collarbone.
Both tight ends could use some help with a veteran addition to the room.
Harrison’s commitment adds some depth to that room. The Vols also perused tight end Justin Joly in the transfer portal, but has has since committed to NC State. In two seasons at UConn, Joly caught 76 passes for 828 yards and four touchdowns. This year was his best year by production, hauling in 56 passes for 578 yards and two touchdowns. When he played against Tennessee in November, Joly had eight receptions for 89 yards.
