Breaking: Josh Heupel and Tennessee Vols seriously in need of a new NCAA transfer portal

The Tennessee Vols had a new item added to their spring to-do list this week.

On Thursday, VolQuest’s Austin Price reported that senior tight end Miles Kitselman recently underwent surgery after suffering a pectoral injury. Kitselman is expected to return this fall, but an exact timeline, as Price noted in his report, is “unknown”.

Kitselman’s injury is a reminder that Tennessee doesn’t have much experience at tight end behind the Kansas native.

Redshirt sophomore Ethan Davis, who has recorded 15 receptions for 133 yards and two touchdowns during his first two seasons at UT, is expected to play a big role in the Vols’ offense in 2025, the Kitselman injury notwithstanding.

Beyond Davis, the Vols have a couple of extremely talented, albeit inexperienced, options at tight end.

Redshirt freshman tight end Cole Harrison played just 25 snaps in 2024.

True freshmen Jack Van Dorselaer and DaSaahn Brame were both rated as four-star recruits, but they’ve obviously played zero snaps at the collegiate level.

Tennessee could clearly benefit from finding a tight end in the NCAA transfer portal that could serve as a depth. Now, that’s obviously easier said than done — most tight ends in the portal will want to land with program where immediate playing time is available. And that’s something that the Vols probably can’t promise.

Building depth is incredibly difficult in college football right now thanks to NIL deals and the seemingly always open NCAA transfer portal. There’s no guarantee that Tennessee will be able to find a tight end in the portal that fits their culture and is on board with serving in a depth role. But if Josh Heupel and his coaching staff can find a player that fits the bill, they should immediately pounce. Tight end depth isn’t a sexy asset, but it’s undoubtedly necessary in the SEC.

The Tennessee Vols had a new item added to their spring to-do list this week.

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