Tennessee football roster: Projecting Vols’ 2019 2-deep depth chart

Tight End

1. Dominick Wood-Anderson

Senior, 6’4″ 264 pounds

Tennessee football recruited Dominick Wood-Anderson specifically to be an elite pass-catcher. The guy was a four-star junior college transfer in the Vols’ 2018 class, and he was somebody that Nick Saban desperately wanted on the Alabama Crimson Tide. However, they grossly underused him in Tyson Helton’s system in 2018.

Well, in 2019, Jim Chaney has arrived. And he loves receiving tight ends. Remember Mychal Rivera anybody? Wood-Anderson brings even more size than Rivera did, and if he improved his blocking at all, he could be an elite tight end this fall. His abilities definitely make him the favorite to be the starter on this list, and he could become a breakout star.

2. Austin Pope

Redshirt Junior, 6’4″ 234 pounds

This is based on what we saw in the spring. The Vols have some solid depth at tight end, and they appeared to trim the dead wood. With Eli Wolf’s transfer, though, there was still an opening in the rotation, and Austin Pope was the guy to emerge. He’s likely going to be in on lots of plays, as JeremyPruitt at least last year did like two tight end sets at times.

In fact, Pope lined up at fullback last year at times, and he did have a 55-yard reception against the Florida Gators. Unfortunately for him, he fumbled it out of the back of the end zone for a touchback. But that versatility will make him an effective player to use in the offense this year.