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Tennessee football 2020 preview by position: TE

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 30: Austin Pope #81 of the Tennessee Volunteers stands ready for a play against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 30: Austin Pope #81 of the Tennessee Volunteers stands ready for a play against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second quarter at Neyland Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Silas Walker/Getty Images) /
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Projected starters

Austin Pope; Redshirt senior; 6’4″ 235 pounds; Knoxville, Tenn.

Recently, Austin Pope revealed that he had back surgery due to a herniated disc. However, there are no reports as to how long he will be out or, if he is, when he will return. With such few details, we are still penciling in the Christian Academy of Knoxville local product as the main starter for Tennessee football this year.

Pope has primarily been a blocking tight end the last two years, which is why he is the guy who has lined up at fullback at times. He only had four receptions for 21 yards. However, blocking is as important to the tight end position as receiving, so he’ll fill his role perfectly, and you can bet that Jim Chaney will find ways to involve him in the offense if he is healthy.

Princeton Fant; Redshirt junior; 6’2″ 234 pounds; Nashville, Tenn.

Given his experience playing running back, Princeton Fant is likely to be the receiving tight end for the Vols this year. He backed up Dominick Wood-Anderson in 2019 and appeared in eight games, catching two passes for a gain of 19 yards. His production on the receiving end as a backup nearly matched what Pope did as a starter.

Now, the LaVergne High School product is in prime position to be the feature receiving tight end. He also has much more experience at the position as well since he has been settled into it for multiple years. As a result, he should thrive this season in Chaney’s system.

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