Alabama tight end Miles Kitselman entered the transfer portal on Jan. 3. Not long after visiting Tennessee football, he committed to the Vols.
Kitselman brings one year of eligibility to Knoxville and he can add depth to a thin position for the Vols. After playing his freshman season at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, he mainly played specials teams for the Crimson Tide.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder has caught just two passes for 18 yards during his two seasons in Tuscaloosa. He was unranked out of Lyndon High School in the 2021 class. He chose the Crimson Tide over Louisiana and Austin Peay out of JuCo.
Kitselman joins Holden Staes out of portal
Regardless of who, the tight end position has been a clear priority for the Vols in the portal. Notre Dame tight end Holden Staes chose the Vols over Georgia and Washington, giving Tennessee the No. 1 portal tight end.
In the transfer portal, Staes ranks as the No. 1 tight end and the No. 12 overall prospect by 247Sports. Out of Westminster School in Atlanta, Staes was the No. 288 overall prospect in the 2022 class. He was also the No. 11 tight end.
Staes mainly plays a blocking tight end, which helps with what Tennessee needs. During his career at Notre Dame, Staes had 16 catches for 187 yards and four touchdowns. Almost all of his production came this season while working as a blocking tight end.
Staes will likely enroll with the Vols for the spring. The 6-foot-4 and 242-pound tight end entered the transfer portal on Dec. 1.
The current state of the Tennessee tight end room
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.
Adding Staes as a reliable option, and Kitselman who can provide a depth piece to the room, will help bolster the Vols at tight end rolling into the 2024-25 season.
