WHO’S BACK
Tennessee returns four tight ends in Princeton Fant, Jacob Warren, Hunter Salmon and Miles Campbell.
Fant and Warren are the two returners who played significant roles last season as they took nearly all the game reps and ended up with 34 receptions for 399 yards and 4 TD’s combined. Salmon did have 3 catches for 7 yards.
Campbell played in 4 games and redshirted as he battled some injuries in the pre-season. Campbell missed spring practice this year as he was recovering from off-season surgery.
WHO’S NEW
Alex Golesh welcomes in two newcomers in walk on Titus Rohrer and UCF transfer Charlie Browder.
Browder who is originally from Kingsport, Tenn. redshirted last season for the Golden Knights before transferring back home to be a Vol.
Both newcomers bring size as they both are 6-7 and way 230+. Browder who’s been in a college weight room actually is over 250 pounds.
BY THE NUMBERS
37 — Number of receptions by the tight ends a year ago. They had 18 in 2021.
5 — Number of TD catches needed by Jacob Warren to tie the career record of 9 by a tight end. Warren does have two years of eligibility left.
61 — Number of games played by Warren and Fant combined
BIGGEST STRENGTH
The strength of this group is the two veterans in Fant and Warren. Warren has gotten his weight to the level in needs to be and has shown he can be a weapon the the passing game with 3 touchdown catches a year ago.
Warren’s blocking has improved but his physicality is always a work in progress. Fant is just an old cagey veteran. He’s got a wore out knee and the staff has to be mindful of how they manage him daily in fall camp and in the season, but Fant can play tight end, h-back, fullback and is just a blue collar performer.
Both Warren and Fant found nice roles in the office under Josh Heupel and Alex Golesh last year. Roles that should increase in year two if both stay healthy.
BIGGEST CONCERN
Who’s the third tight end? As I mentioned Fant deals with some chronic knee things and Golesh would love to do some three tight end sets in certain situations. The question is who can be that third dependable guy. Salmon filled that role a year ago and is the front runner to do it again but Golesh wants to do more with that spot. Can Browder who this staff knows well do that? Or can that be Miles Campbell who is a bit of a forgotten man right now because he missed spring practice and wasn’t a factor last fall.
This camp Golesh’s focus will on finding that third guy especially in being mindful of not wearing out his two cagey veterans before kickoff against Ball State.
