Entering the 2020 season the tight end position was one of the biggest question marks on Tennessee’s football team. The picture at that spot got even murkier on Thursday with the news that Austin Pope underwent back surgery.

Pope, fifth-year senior, was the only returning player with any kind of real experience at the spot. He appeared in all 13 games with 11 starts in 2019. He was not a huge part of the passing game (4 rec. 21 yards) but was an integral part of the ground game.

Now the Vols are in a conundrum at the position. Jim Chaney loves to deploy two tight end sets but now he’s got no one with any kind of experience to turn to when fall camp opens.

Pope would not only have been a lock to start at the position, he is also one of the most experienced players on the entire roster.

So who steps up now?

Redshirt junior Princeton Fant is a converted running back who is now the most experienced option Chaney has. Last season was his first at the position and he appeared in eight games, making two receptions.

Redshirt sophomore Jacob Warren appeared in five games a year ago, making one reception. He’s an intriguing athlete, but at 6-foot-6, 244 pounds he doesn’t bring the same physical dimension as a blocker that Pope brought to the table.

Sean Brown played in two games a year ago while redshirting while Jackson Lowe didn’t see the field during his redshirt freshman season. Both are bigger bodied players who could conceivably help in the ground game as Pope did but they’re also both completely unproven.

Lastly there’s Jordan Allen, who started his career at outside linebacker, missed last year with an injury and moved to tight end in the offseason. Allen did play wide receiver in high school, but he’s had all of two spring practices to get acclimated to his new position.

The tight end spot was already one where Tennessee was going to have to figure some things out in fall camp. With the news today, that challenge just got even bigger.