University of Tennessee Athletics
Tight Ends Making Strides as Vols Continue Preseason Camp
August 06, 2026 | Football
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee's tight end room has spent the offseason getting bigger, stronger and more versatile, and tight ends coach Alec Abeln has seen the results translate to the practice field as the Vols continue preseason camp.
"I think physically, cannot say enough about the work those guys have done since January," Abeln said. "You know, it's one thing chasing a weight, but the way it looks, the way we're moving, really proud of the work that they've done so far. Excited about what it means for us this fall."
The progress DaSaahn Brame has made has been key as he enters his second season on Rocky Top.
"One, just mastery of the offense, knowing what to do. It's hard to do anything at a high level until you feel really confident in what you're doing," Abeln said. "To the last point, man, the work that those guys have done in the weight room, on the field; those guys are moving better, they're stronger, they're more explosive, allowing him to translate in the box a little bit more and, you know, really excited to see what he'll do this camp."
While Brame continues his development, freshman Luca Wolf has also emerged as a player to watch in the room.
Wolf, a Vienna, Austria, native, arrived at Tennessee after spending two years at the NFL UK Academy. Abeln praised the freshman's football knowledge and maturity since his arrival in Knoxville.
"I think he's absolutely given himself a chance to be a real contributor this fall," Abeln said. "Obviously, won't find out until pads come on until these next couple of weeks go by, but mentally he's so mature, so smart, knows the game at a much higher level."
The versatility in the tight ends room has been accompanied by a noticeable maturity, according to Abeln. Veterans such as Ethan Davis and senior newcomers Trent Thomas and Drake Martinez have helped provide experience.
"Top to bottom, I feel like the room is pretty focused and pretty driven," Abeln said. "It's certainly nice to have guys that have played. For Trent (Thomas), when the pads come on Saturday, you know he's been in the C gap in this league before, and I think just having a little bit of that certainly helps. By the time you play your third or fourth year of college football, you've pretty much seen everything. You've been through an injury, you've been through maybe being frustrated with where you're at on the depth chart. I think just having guys that have lived it and been through it, more than anything else for those young guys, just having someone to lean on when it is something new for them."
Full comments from Abeln's Thursday press conference can be viewed below.
"I think physically, cannot say enough about the work those guys have done since January. You know, it's one thing chasing a weight, but the way it looks, the way we're moving, really proud of the work that they've done so far. Excited about what it means for us this fall."
On DaSaahn Brame's growth since spring...
"One, just mastery of the offense, knowing what to do. It's hard to do anything at a high level until you feel really confident in what you're doing. To the last point, man, the work that those guys have done in the weight room, on the field; those guys are moving better, they're stronger, they're more explosive, allowing him to translate in the box a little bit more and, you know, really excited to see what he'll do this camp."
On the coachability of the group...
"Yeah man, it makes my job easy when the guys are wanting to be coached. I think that's pretty team wide here that guys want to get developed and want to get better. Obviously, there's things to work on. Obviously, there's things in the meeting room, but if we can fix problems as they're happening, even better. You love coaching guys that are hungry for that feedback."
On Luca Wolf's development and his potential to help the team this fall...
"I think he's absolutely given himself a chance to be a real contributor this fall. Obviously, won't find out until pads come on until these next couple of weeks go by, but mentally he's so mature, so smart, knows the game at a much higher level than, you know, the last couple NFL Academy guys we've been around. A testament to what they're doing over there, like that program is night and day. Really, really impressive what they're doing now, where he came in the door knowing ball at a level that most United States high school players don't know. But just the maturity of that kid, the way he works, back to the last point, the coachability of that kid, going to give himself a chance. And then physically, I mean he's big, strong, able to survive in there right now."
On the evaluation process of Luca Wolf...
"So there's a guy, Kris Durham, that is with NFL Academy. He reached out to me after Luca's junior year and just said, 'hey, I think I got one for you.' Was planning on bringing him to camp over the summer. He ended up being offered and OV'd (official visit) to Cal the weekend he was going to come to camp. So, really didn't get to put eyes on him the way things unfolded for us in the summer (which) ended up being a blessing in disguise. Watched his first three games, and you know, they're not playing the Frankfurt Red Hens. They're playing Edgewater, they're playing the Hun School, they're playing IMG. Really just watching his first three games, some of the things he's able to do with this body at his size, really impressive and did not come off as just a complete project. Like, there was a foundation laid there that made it really easy to say, for sure. And then you start talking to the kid as it got real, and you know, get to know what kind of person he is, and that part of it was just impressive. You're looking for traits, you're looking for a foundation, but really, it's a total package with that kid."
On if Ethan Davis and DaSaahn Brame can be "every down" tight ends...
"Yeah, I mean absolutely. When we recruit guys, there's different body types in the room, but ultimately, we're not looking to play with a Y that's just a blocker or an F that's just a route runner. For us to operate as best as we can as an offense, we want guys that are true combo, have the ability to do all of it. Now it can look different ways and different skill sets for different guys, but for us to be our best those guys have to be able to do the stuff in the box, and the guys that are a little bigger they have to be functional and do a good job in space as well."
On what it's been like helping Luca Wolf adjust to his "new way of life" in Knoxville...
"I think he's handled it about as good as you could've hoped for. When he was younger in high school, he was over here for a couple of months playing basketball, was not his first time overseas. And then he spent two years in England at the NFL Academy, so for a guy that's coming in as a true freshman, he's really been in a college-like atmosphere for two years coming in. So, probably more adjusted than a lot of guys just in terms of being on your own for the first time, having to handle your own responsibilities, and again, the football side of it is so important to him that there wasn't much to reign in or adjust. Culturally, man, he fits right in with our room in a bunch of fun ways. He's probably got the darkest sense of humor in the room, which I appreciate, but yeah, he's adjusted pretty well."
On what his message has been to his room on being a security blanket for both young quarterbacks...
"There's not a tight end in America that doesn't want more catches, more targets, right? Being consistent, being where you're supposed to be, ball comes my way, it's mine. Those are all things we talk about at length, but it's also being desperate and urgent when we get to scramble situations. If you're always doing your job at a high level, the ball happens to find you and good things happen but absolutely got to earn that trust no matter who it ends up being (the starting QB). No reason why we can't be that guy for him."
On the possibilities for the tight end group and multiple being on the field together...
"It's absolutely something we've talked about as a staff, and really, how much of that we play in will come down to how the next couple of weeks go. There's really five guys in the room that feel like they can contribute if they're doing things the way they need to these next couple of weeks. Doesn't mean that's something you major in, but do they have the ability to do it? Absolutely. I do think it speaks to being combo guys, where if you only have one skill set, then you're not really gaining anything by adding an extra tight end. To be really effective in those sets, you still have to keep three real receiving threats and three guys that can really play in a core."
On the personality of his unit and what excites him most about the room...
"It's weird saying that Ethan Davis is one of the mature (guys), like he's a vet presence now. He's still Ethan deep down and his personality still is as infectious and contagious as it ever is, but we have some really mature guys. Trent Thomas is like a grown man, he might as well be 40-years old just in the way he approaches it. Luca, again, for young kid, so mature. When you think about DaSaahn Brame, last year he got a taste of it. Obviously, wants more. I think just the way that he's approached this offseason and the way that he's attacked camp so far, I'd say we're more mature than I feel like we've been in the past. I don't mean that in a negative way. I think there's still fun being had in the room and I think these guys love each other, but it's a very driven group right now."
On what he expects from Cole Harrison this year and how he thinks he has developed...
"I'm really excited for Cole. It's the first time he's had a full offseason being healthy. When you're battling the injuries that he came from, it's not just the time off and missing the reps but physically getting your body back ready to play. He's done an unbelievable job. Again, I feel like a broken record, but the work that the strength staff did this summer, the work that those guys did with them, his body is in as good of shape to go compete for a job this year and I absolutely believe he can do it."
On what older players like Trent Thomas and Drake Martinez bring to the room...
"If we were an immature room, those guys would be a necessary veteran presence. Top to bottom, I feel like the room is pretty focused and pretty driven. It's certainly nice to have guys that have played. For Trent, when the pads come on Saturday, you know he's been in the C gap in this league before, and I think just having a little bit of that certainly helps. By the time you play your third or fourth year of college football, you've pretty much seen everything. You've been through an injury, you've been through maybe being frustrated with where you're at on the depth chart. I think just having guys that have lived it and been through it, more than anything else for those young guys just having someone to lean on when it is something new for them."
On what he is looking for in a strong, well-rounded tight end..
"To be totally honest, it starts with the protection, right? We're going to be asked to protect, and sometimes that's on linebacker or safety and sometimes that's on their defensive ends. If I can't protect, it's really hard to trust you and put you on the field. If we can't protect, the coordinator has to call it differently. Really from a strength and physicality standpoint, that's probably number one, as far as earning trust is, am I sound and am I clean in protection? As strong as I may be, I still have to tie the technique and fundamentals to use the strength. I think that's DaSaahn's biggest jump right now and something that's probably really frustrating for him, but something he's taken a lot of steps on and looks really good through two days without it. When you have put in the work in the weight room, like DaSaahn was not weak a year ago, but being able to translate what you can do in the weight room to power on the field, that's something that takes time. Timing, sequencing and understanding how your technique plays into it. When it clicks, it's like the greatest feeling ever because you are like, 'man, I've had this all along, I just wasn't able to do it.' I think that part of it when it clicks for him it's going to be really fun. The other piece of it, physicality is a choice. You're either making a decision to be physical or you're not. I think when you turn on the tape, there really shouldn't be a question of whether you're being the hammer or the nail, whether you enjoy it or not. And you do have to enjoy it to a certain extent for you to play it the way that you need to."
On if he has seen that fire from DaSaahn Brame from last year to this season...
"I think focus is probably the best word. You let that stuff fuel you in the offseason. Obviously, DaSaahn is super talented and came in with a lot of expectations. There's a lot of pressure on that with him as well. For the first time in his life, he's not the guy that's playing the number of snaps that you want. That's really hard as a freshman. That's really hard in any transition time, but you can either mope about it and get sad about it or you can use it to fuel you. I think that he's done a great job of working on the reasons why he wasn't able to play as much as he wanted to last year. Just approached it the right way, where you don't have to wait around to be ready. I think we talk about that a lot, like, there's a process and we'll take steps and if you're here and develop, you'll get there eventually. It's 'why wait?' Why wait until year three to be a guy that we feel like can role every single snap versus, 'hey, you're almost ready, hey we're getting closer.' So, the challenge for him, let's not wait, let's do it now."
"I think physically, cannot say enough about the work those guys have done since January," Abeln said. "You know, it's one thing chasing a weight, but the way it looks, the way we're moving, really proud of the work that they've done so far. Excited about what it means for us this fall."
The progress DaSaahn Brame has made has been key as he enters his second season on Rocky Top.
"One, just mastery of the offense, knowing what to do. It's hard to do anything at a high level until you feel really confident in what you're doing," Abeln said. "To the last point, man, the work that those guys have done in the weight room, on the field; those guys are moving better, they're stronger, they're more explosive, allowing him to translate in the box a little bit more and, you know, really excited to see what he'll do this camp."
While Brame continues his development, freshman Luca Wolf has also emerged as a player to watch in the room.
Wolf, a Vienna, Austria, native, arrived at Tennessee after spending two years at the NFL UK Academy. Abeln praised the freshman's football knowledge and maturity since his arrival in Knoxville.
"I think he's absolutely given himself a chance to be a real contributor this fall," Abeln said. "Obviously, won't find out until pads come on until these next couple of weeks go by, but mentally he's so mature, so smart, knows the game at a much higher level."
The versatility in the tight ends room has been accompanied by a noticeable maturity, according to Abeln. Veterans such as Ethan Davis and senior newcomers Trent Thomas and Drake Martinez have helped provide experience.
"Top to bottom, I feel like the room is pretty focused and pretty driven," Abeln said. "It's certainly nice to have guys that have played. For Trent (Thomas), when the pads come on Saturday, you know he's been in the C gap in this league before, and I think just having a little bit of that certainly helps. By the time you play your third or fourth year of college football, you've pretty much seen everything. You've been through an injury, you've been through maybe being frustrated with where you're at on the depth chart. I think just having guys that have lived it and been through it, more than anything else for those young guys, just having someone to lean on when it is something new for them."
Full comments from Abeln's Thursday press conference can be viewed below.
Tight End Coach Alec Abeln Media Availability (8.6.26)
On progress of the group physically after summer workouts..."I think physically, cannot say enough about the work those guys have done since January. You know, it's one thing chasing a weight, but the way it looks, the way we're moving, really proud of the work that they've done so far. Excited about what it means for us this fall."
On DaSaahn Brame's growth since spring...
"One, just mastery of the offense, knowing what to do. It's hard to do anything at a high level until you feel really confident in what you're doing. To the last point, man, the work that those guys have done in the weight room, on the field; those guys are moving better, they're stronger, they're more explosive, allowing him to translate in the box a little bit more and, you know, really excited to see what he'll do this camp."
On the coachability of the group...
"Yeah man, it makes my job easy when the guys are wanting to be coached. I think that's pretty team wide here that guys want to get developed and want to get better. Obviously, there's things to work on. Obviously, there's things in the meeting room, but if we can fix problems as they're happening, even better. You love coaching guys that are hungry for that feedback."
On Luca Wolf's development and his potential to help the team this fall...
"I think he's absolutely given himself a chance to be a real contributor this fall. Obviously, won't find out until pads come on until these next couple of weeks go by, but mentally he's so mature, so smart, knows the game at a much higher level than, you know, the last couple NFL Academy guys we've been around. A testament to what they're doing over there, like that program is night and day. Really, really impressive what they're doing now, where he came in the door knowing ball at a level that most United States high school players don't know. But just the maturity of that kid, the way he works, back to the last point, the coachability of that kid, going to give himself a chance. And then physically, I mean he's big, strong, able to survive in there right now."
On the evaluation process of Luca Wolf...
"So there's a guy, Kris Durham, that is with NFL Academy. He reached out to me after Luca's junior year and just said, 'hey, I think I got one for you.' Was planning on bringing him to camp over the summer. He ended up being offered and OV'd (official visit) to Cal the weekend he was going to come to camp. So, really didn't get to put eyes on him the way things unfolded for us in the summer (which) ended up being a blessing in disguise. Watched his first three games, and you know, they're not playing the Frankfurt Red Hens. They're playing Edgewater, they're playing the Hun School, they're playing IMG. Really just watching his first three games, some of the things he's able to do with this body at his size, really impressive and did not come off as just a complete project. Like, there was a foundation laid there that made it really easy to say, for sure. And then you start talking to the kid as it got real, and you know, get to know what kind of person he is, and that part of it was just impressive. You're looking for traits, you're looking for a foundation, but really, it's a total package with that kid."
On if Ethan Davis and DaSaahn Brame can be "every down" tight ends...
"Yeah, I mean absolutely. When we recruit guys, there's different body types in the room, but ultimately, we're not looking to play with a Y that's just a blocker or an F that's just a route runner. For us to operate as best as we can as an offense, we want guys that are true combo, have the ability to do all of it. Now it can look different ways and different skill sets for different guys, but for us to be our best those guys have to be able to do the stuff in the box, and the guys that are a little bigger they have to be functional and do a good job in space as well."
On what it's been like helping Luca Wolf adjust to his "new way of life" in Knoxville...
"I think he's handled it about as good as you could've hoped for. When he was younger in high school, he was over here for a couple of months playing basketball, was not his first time overseas. And then he spent two years in England at the NFL Academy, so for a guy that's coming in as a true freshman, he's really been in a college-like atmosphere for two years coming in. So, probably more adjusted than a lot of guys just in terms of being on your own for the first time, having to handle your own responsibilities, and again, the football side of it is so important to him that there wasn't much to reign in or adjust. Culturally, man, he fits right in with our room in a bunch of fun ways. He's probably got the darkest sense of humor in the room, which I appreciate, but yeah, he's adjusted pretty well."
On what his message has been to his room on being a security blanket for both young quarterbacks...
"There's not a tight end in America that doesn't want more catches, more targets, right? Being consistent, being where you're supposed to be, ball comes my way, it's mine. Those are all things we talk about at length, but it's also being desperate and urgent when we get to scramble situations. If you're always doing your job at a high level, the ball happens to find you and good things happen but absolutely got to earn that trust no matter who it ends up being (the starting QB). No reason why we can't be that guy for him."
On the possibilities for the tight end group and multiple being on the field together...
"It's absolutely something we've talked about as a staff, and really, how much of that we play in will come down to how the next couple of weeks go. There's really five guys in the room that feel like they can contribute if they're doing things the way they need to these next couple of weeks. Doesn't mean that's something you major in, but do they have the ability to do it? Absolutely. I do think it speaks to being combo guys, where if you only have one skill set, then you're not really gaining anything by adding an extra tight end. To be really effective in those sets, you still have to keep three real receiving threats and three guys that can really play in a core."
On the personality of his unit and what excites him most about the room...
"It's weird saying that Ethan Davis is one of the mature (guys), like he's a vet presence now. He's still Ethan deep down and his personality still is as infectious and contagious as it ever is, but we have some really mature guys. Trent Thomas is like a grown man, he might as well be 40-years old just in the way he approaches it. Luca, again, for young kid, so mature. When you think about DaSaahn Brame, last year he got a taste of it. Obviously, wants more. I think just the way that he's approached this offseason and the way that he's attacked camp so far, I'd say we're more mature than I feel like we've been in the past. I don't mean that in a negative way. I think there's still fun being had in the room and I think these guys love each other, but it's a very driven group right now."
On what he expects from Cole Harrison this year and how he thinks he has developed...
"I'm really excited for Cole. It's the first time he's had a full offseason being healthy. When you're battling the injuries that he came from, it's not just the time off and missing the reps but physically getting your body back ready to play. He's done an unbelievable job. Again, I feel like a broken record, but the work that the strength staff did this summer, the work that those guys did with them, his body is in as good of shape to go compete for a job this year and I absolutely believe he can do it."
On what older players like Trent Thomas and Drake Martinez bring to the room...
"If we were an immature room, those guys would be a necessary veteran presence. Top to bottom, I feel like the room is pretty focused and pretty driven. It's certainly nice to have guys that have played. For Trent, when the pads come on Saturday, you know he's been in the C gap in this league before, and I think just having a little bit of that certainly helps. By the time you play your third or fourth year of college football, you've pretty much seen everything. You've been through an injury, you've been through maybe being frustrated with where you're at on the depth chart. I think just having guys that have lived it and been through it, more than anything else for those young guys just having someone to lean on when it is something new for them."
On what he is looking for in a strong, well-rounded tight end..
"To be totally honest, it starts with the protection, right? We're going to be asked to protect, and sometimes that's on linebacker or safety and sometimes that's on their defensive ends. If I can't protect, it's really hard to trust you and put you on the field. If we can't protect, the coordinator has to call it differently. Really from a strength and physicality standpoint, that's probably number one, as far as earning trust is, am I sound and am I clean in protection? As strong as I may be, I still have to tie the technique and fundamentals to use the strength. I think that's DaSaahn's biggest jump right now and something that's probably really frustrating for him, but something he's taken a lot of steps on and looks really good through two days without it. When you have put in the work in the weight room, like DaSaahn was not weak a year ago, but being able to translate what you can do in the weight room to power on the field, that's something that takes time. Timing, sequencing and understanding how your technique plays into it. When it clicks, it's like the greatest feeling ever because you are like, 'man, I've had this all along, I just wasn't able to do it.' I think that part of it when it clicks for him it's going to be really fun. The other piece of it, physicality is a choice. You're either making a decision to be physical or you're not. I think when you turn on the tape, there really shouldn't be a question of whether you're being the hammer or the nail, whether you enjoy it or not. And you do have to enjoy it to a certain extent for you to play it the way that you need to."
On if he has seen that fire from DaSaahn Brame from last year to this season...
"I think focus is probably the best word. You let that stuff fuel you in the offseason. Obviously, DaSaahn is super talented and came in with a lot of expectations. There's a lot of pressure on that with him as well. For the first time in his life, he's not the guy that's playing the number of snaps that you want. That's really hard as a freshman. That's really hard in any transition time, but you can either mope about it and get sad about it or you can use it to fuel you. I think that he's done a great job of working on the reasons why he wasn't able to play as much as he wanted to last year. Just approached it the right way, where you don't have to wait around to be ready. I think we talk about that a lot, like, there's a process and we'll take steps and if you're here and develop, you'll get there eventually. It's 'why wait?' Why wait until year three to be a guy that we feel like can role every single snap versus, 'hey, you're almost ready, hey we're getting closer.' So, the challenge for him, let's not wait, let's do it now."
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