The Tennessee football team has not been able to take down Florida in Gainesville since 2003, but the hope is that's going to change this weekend. The Vols are considered the favorites, as nothing has gone to plan for Florida, which has said goodbye to Billy Napier.
Tennessee football comes in at No. 20 in new College Football Playoff rankings
In order for Tennessee to post the win, though, they'll need to do so without a senior playmaker on the field. In the second half of the win over New Mexico State, tight end Miles Kitselman went down with a lower-leg injury and it unfortunately looked quite serious. On Wednesday night, it was revealed that he has officially been ruled out for this one:
NEW: Tennessee starting TE Miles Kitselman has been ruled out against Florida.
— Patrick Brown (@pbrown247) November 20, 2025
OL Wendell Moe Jr. and RB Peyton Lewis listed as questionable on the first SEC availability report of the week, which does not include LB Arion Carter.
Full details ➡️ https://t.co/WaCIAMJXYM #Vols
Tennessee TE Miles Kitselman has officially been ruled out for the Florida game
On the season, Kitselman has hauled in 25 balls for 250 yards and two touchdowns. He's also known as being a great blocker, which will be missed for Tennessee against the Gators. Any kind of injury stings for head man Josh Heupel, but there's serious worry that Kitselman might be out vs. Vandy on Nov. 29 too. Obviously, that'd be brutal for Tennessee.
With Kitselman for sure missing this weekend's action against Florida, it will be time for sophomore tight end Ethan Davis to step in. Davis is no stranger to seeing the field for Heupel in 2025, as he has recorded nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown.
He's got a ton of potential and he's going to look to take advantage of his extra opportunities against Florida. The Vols are entering this showdown with a 7-3 record, with the hope of closing things out in style with wins over the Gators and Commodores.
While everyone was hoping to reach the College Football Playoff for the second consecutive season, it's not going to happen. Despite that, a nine-win season will still be solid for this group. Only time will tell if that happens or not, but things are not going to be easy, especially with Kitselman's status for the rest of the year up in the air.