Volunteers’ Tight End Poised for Expanded Role in 2025

Kitselman Earns National Recognition Amidst Offensive Uncertainty

Tennessee’s tight end unit, often a secondary focus, may see a significant shift in prominence for the 2025 season. Senior tight end Miles Kitselman has been named to the prestigious John Mackey Award watch list, signaling potential for increased offensive involvement.

Kitselman’s Impact So Far

After transferring from Alabama following the 2023 season, Kitselman made a notable impact in his first year with the Volunteers. He led all Tennessee tight ends with 301 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns, adding one rushing touchdown across 13 games.

Kitselman‘s performance has garnered outside recognition, as he was tabbed as the third-highest graded returning tight end in the SEC by Pro Football Focus. His 76.6 PFF mark also ranked as the fourth-best among Tennessee offensive players with at least 170 snaps last season.

Broader Preseason Accolades for Volunteers

Several other Volunteers players and Head Coach Josh Heupel have also been recognized on preseason award watch lists. Running backs DeSean Bishop and Star Thomas are on the Doak Walker watch list, while Jermod McCoy is recognized on the Jim Thorpe watch list. Arion Carter is a candidate for the Butkus Award, and kicker Max Gilbert is on the Lou Groza watch list. Head coach Josh Heupel himself is also on the Dodd Trophy watch list.

The overall outlook for Tennessee’s receiving corps in 2025 remains an open question, potentially creating an opportunity for Kitselman to become a more central figure in the offensive strategy. In the 2023 season, SEC tight ends collectively accounted for 7.7% of all receiving yards in the conference, according to StatBroadcast data.