Tennessee football 2019 preview by position: Vols tight ends

Projected starters

Dominick Wood-Anderson

Senior; 6’4″ 257 lbs; San Diego, Calif.

A four-star junior college transfer in Tennessee football’s 2018 recruiting class, Dominick Wood-Anderson arrived on Rocky Top with immediate expectations. However, despite being recruited specifically as a receiving tight end, Tyson Helton’s focus on timing and efficiency resulted in him only having 17 receptions for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

Still, Wood-Anderson led all tight ends in receiving with those numbers. And despite being receiver-focused, he still weighs more than anybody else on the depth chart here. So with Jim Chaney on Rocky Top, Wood-Anderson has a chance to be a major impact player his senior year. He’s a perfect target for Jarrett Guarantano.

Austin Pope

Redshirt junior; 6’4″ 235 lbs; Knoxville, Tenn.

Austin Pope had a very infamous play in his one reception last year, as he took it 55 yards to the end zone before fumbling it at the one-yard line. It was against the Florida Gators. However, the redshirt junior is a versatile blocking tight end. Jeremy Pruitt used him last year at fullback some, and as we said, Pruitt clearly wants to run multiple tight ends.

As a result, Pope will likely be the No. 2 tight end this year, but we have him as a starter since he should see the field a good bit as a blocker. If he can become somewhat a threat for Jim Chaney at receiver, he could become a valuable weapon. The loss of Eli Wolf puts more pressure on Pope to make a big splash this year.