Tennessee will have veteran tight end Ethan Davis available when the Vols open the 2026 season against Furman on Saturday.
Head coach Josh Heupel confirmed Davis’ status Monday after the senior ramped up his workload during the final week of preseason preparation.
“Yeah, he’ll be available on Saturday,” Heupel said. “Ramped up this past week and looks really good.”
Davis’ return gives true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon another experienced target as he prepares to make his first college start.
The 6-foot-5, 247-pound tight end enters his fourth season at Tennessee after becoming a larger part of the passing game in 2025. Davis caught 21 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns in nine appearances last season.
His best production came late in the year.
Davis caught five passes for 72 yards and a touchdown against Florida before posting career highs with seven receptions and 85 yards against Vanderbilt.
His growth, however, extends beyond his production.
Tight ends coach Alec Abeln pointed to Davis’ maturity earlier in fall camp as one of the changes within Tennessee’s tight end room.
“It’s weird saying that Ethan Davis is one of the mature (guys), like he’s a vet presence now,” Abeln said. “Trent Thomas is like a grown man, he might as well be 40-years old just in the way he approaches it.”
This comes after Davis was shaken up on the first day of Tennessee’s fall camp. It caused the veteran to miss multiple weeks of practice.
Now healthy entering Week 1, Davis adds another veteran option to an offense surrounding Brandon with proven production.
