It was pretty clear down the stretch of last season that Tennessee Football tight end Miles Kitselman became the Vols’ best pass-catcher. He finished with 22 catches for 301 yards and four touchdowns, and his blocking allowed Josh Heupel to run more 12 personnel than he wanted to given his issues at tackle.
Entering this year, Kitselman was the clear starter at the position, which is why Holden Staes entered the transfer portal. As a result, on the surface, the news that he will miss the rest of spring and likely some of fall camp due to a pectoral injury, which has required offseason surgery according to ON3, is a blow.
However, it’s also an opportunity for somebody else.
Ethan Davis was the first elite commitment in the Vols’ 2023 recruiting class, having made his decision official in December of 2021. Immediately upon stepping on campus, he was seen as a rare athlete who could provide another element to Josh Heupel’s offense at the position.
At 6’5″ 248 pounds, he’s got receiver athleticism in a huge body. His raw potential is as great as any tight end the Vols have had since Jason Witten. However, entering his third year with the program, he hasn’t exploded onto the scene with all that talent just yet.
After understandably redshirting and catching just two balls for 33 yards in 2023, Davis saw more action last year and caught 13 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns. He showed flashes of greatness when in the game but just didn’t have the experience Kitselman had.
This year, Davis was likely to see an even larger role, alternating drives with Kitselman to allow Heupel to run his tempo. Given his size, he like any tight end will have trouble playing every possession in Heupel’s offense when it’s running the way it’s supposed to, but Davis will likely see a larger role with Kitselman out.
Now, all of a sudden, there’s a lot of pressure on Davis to be a major playmaker. Heupel will probably have to use him more than he wants to early on, as he likely was going to have them alternate with Kitselman being the primary tight end. It’s unlikely Kitselman is 100 percent by the opener, though, so Davis is going to be the main guy now.
With that comes a huge opportunity for him to make his presence known. He’s got All-American potential, especially in this offense, and could be the biggest mismatch in the SEC. There’s no doubt Tennessee Football would love to target him as much as possible.
Don’t just look at Davis, though. With Kitselman out or banged up more, Heupel will likely go four-wide more often. Will that include a second slot receiver or a third wideout? Either way, four wide receivers opens the door for Braylon Staley and Boo Carter, yes Boo Carter, to both make a big impact in this offense. Mike Matthews and Chris Brazzell II will likely be the starting wideouts.
Simply put, taking all this into account, Tennessee Football suffered a blow with the loss of Kitselman, but the tackles are developed enough that they shouldn’t have to run 12-personnel as much in 2025. As a result, this could be a chance for another pass-catcher to be a breakout star. That’s what Heupel needs to focus on.
