Tight End
TE1: Austin Pope, Princeton Fant
TE2: Jackson Lowe or Sean Brown, Jacob Warren
Unless one of the younger tight ends shows out in the spring, Austin Pope appears to have a stranglehold on the starting TE spot. Princeton Fant could factor in as a blocking tight end along with Pope, but it’ll likely be Jackson Lowe and Sean Brown fighting for a the true No. 2 tight end spot.
Brown seems to have a slight leg up after last season, but Lowe was a four-star coming out of high school and has good hands as a pass catcher. Those two will be vying for playing time in the tight end rotation, and Jacob Warren can’t be discounted, either. He’s probably the Vols’ best pass catching tight end, but he’s been needing to add weight and get more consistent than just being a one-trick pony. At 6-foot-6, he’s plenty intriguing as a target in the passing game.
If Pope can stay healthy, he has a chance to be used as a multi-faceted weapon in the offense. His receiving numbers have been lackluster, but he excels as a blocker. This spring should be spent honing his catching and route-running skills.
