Ethan Davis knew the football was coming his way.
Before Tennessee even broke the huddle against Furman, the senior tight end expected his first opportunity of the season to end in the end zone.
“I knew as soon as we were back in the huddle I was about to get a touchdown,” Davis said. “One hundred percent.”
He was right.
True freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon found Davis for a 17-yard touchdown on Tennessee’s opening possession.
The score set the tone for the Vols’ 56-9 win. For Davis, it also marked his return after missing fall camp.
“It felt great to get the game rolling, of course, to set the tone for the team,” Davis said. “Just, you know, blessing that the coaches trusted the opportunity for me to go out there and make the play.”
Davis described his absence as precautionary.
He said the issue wasn’t significant but could have become worse had he continued playing through it. Davis and Tennessee’s medical staff ultimately decided sitting out was the best option.
That meant watching much of the tight end room’s development instead of participating in it.
Davis liked what he saw.
“Those guys, I mean, they played hard,” Davis said. “They strained to the echo of the whistle, and they took a lot of steps throughout fall camp.”
Watching that growth wasn’t always easy.
Davis said it “hurt” being unable to work alongside his teammates during camp, but he was proud of the progress they made.
Now, he’s back in the middle of it.
One player Davis has watched closely is South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas.
Thomas made his Tennessee debut against Furman after arriving this offseason and has earned praise for the way he approaches the position.
“The way he carries himself, he’s very detailed in his work, and he wants to get better every single day,” Davis said.
Davis said Thomas’ attention to detail carries from the field into Tennessee’s meeting rooms.
“He really does apply himself,” Davis said. “He continues to grow every single day, day in and day out.”
The group now moves from an FCS opponent to a more physical test.
Tennessee travels to Atlanta on Saturday to face Georgia Tech in Brandon’s first road start.
Davis described the Yellow Jackets’ defense as physical, fast and disciplined.
That could place additional importance on Tennessee’s tight ends.
Their responsibilities extend beyond becoming receiving options for Brandon. Blocking in the run game and helping in protection can also help Tennessee keep its freshman quarterback comfortable.
The Vols saw room for improvement in that area against Furman.
Tennessee rushed for just 32 yards in the first half before finding more success after halftime. Davis pointed primarily to self-inflicted mistakes when evaluating the slow start.
“Honestly, it was just penalties that were kind of killing us,” Davis said. “We just got to play more disciplined football.”
Saturday offers another opportunity to show the tight end room’s growth.
It also carries some additional meaning for Davis.
The Suwanee, Georgia, native will return to the Atlanta area with plenty of familiar faces expected in the stands.
“I’m excited to go back home to Atlanta,” Davis said. “I feel like I got a lot of people coming to the game, going to know a lot of people in the stands. So it’ll be good to be back in the city.”
This time, he’ll arrive healthy and with a tight end room he watched grow throughout his absence.
And after knowing his first target of the season was headed his way, Davis has already made the most of being back.
