Tennessee Football and head coach Josh Heupel have landed a second tight end from the transfer portal.
Former Alabama tight end Miles Kitselman revealed a commitment to Tennessee on Friday night via social media. Kitselman entered the transfer portal just two days after the Crimson Tide’s playoff loss to Michigan on January 3. The former junior college tight end will have one year of eligibility remaining.
“Go Vols,” Kitselman said in an Instagram post of himself and Heupel.
After playing on both the offensive and defensive line during his time at Lyndon High School in Kansas, Kitselman made the switch to tight end during his first year at Hutchinson C.C. during the 2021 season. Kitselman only played one season for the Blue Dragons before making his way to Alabama for two seasons.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound tight end found action in six games during the 2022 season on offensive and special teams units. Kitselman recorded two receptions for 18 yards during his first season in Tuscaloosa.
While he did play in 13 games for the Tide this past season, Kitselman didn’t come away with his offensive statistics. Kitselman once again mainly worked on special teams during the 2023 season but did find a handful of offensive reps here and there. The Kansas native did play in the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff semi-final games, though.
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Kitselman will join a tight end room in Knoxville featuring fellow transfer Holden Staes, former four-star prospect Ethan Davis, and second-year tight end Emmanual Okoye from the NFL Africa program. Staes is the most likely candidate to be the Vols’ starting tight end with Davis and Kitselman projecting for the second spot behind the Notre Dame transfer.
The Vols are looking to replace to stout tight ends in McCallan Castles and Jacob Warren next season. That position projects to be important for Tennessee considering both of Nico Iamaleava’s touchdown passes this season went to Castles.
Miles Kitselman is Tennessee’s sixth acquisition out of the transfer portal and the Vols’ third offensive portal player joining Tulane wide receiver Chris Brazell and Notre Dame tight end Holden Staes. Tennessee has also portal commitments from Oregon State cornerback Jermod McCoy, Temple cornerback Jalen McMurray, and MTSU safety Jakobe Thomas.
Stay tuned to Rocky Top Insider for more information on Tennessee’s activity in the transfer portal this offseason.
