Tennessee TE Holden Staes in the portal, but Miles Kitselman can return

On December 28, 2024By Littum

Tennessee football’s tight ends could look a lot different than expected after Holden Staes entered the transfer portal and Miles Kitselman got a chance to return for one more season.

Staes announced Thursday that he plans to enter the portal after just one season at Tennessee. The Notre Dame transfer had 15 receptions for 131 yards and a TD for the Vols in 2024 while playing behind Kitselman.

Backup tight ends Charlie Browder and Luke Shouse also entered the portal. They were walk-ons and did not record a reception in 2024.

Kitselman, meanwhile, has regained a year of eligibility if he chooses to use it due to the NCAA granting blanket waivers to former junior high transfers after Diego Pavia trial.

Pavia, the Vanderbilt quarterback and former junior college transfer, was granted a preliminary injunction that will give him an extra year of eligibility. And the NCAA Division I board then approved an extra year of eligibility for junior college transfers who would have otherwise exhausted their eligibility after the 2024-25 season.

The 6-foot-5, 256-pound Kitselman has not announced whether he will declare for the NFL Draft or return to Tennessee for the 2025 season. But Staes’ decision to enter the portal suggests Kitselman is likely part of the Vols’ 2025 plan.

In 2024, Kitselman had 22 receptions for 301 yards and four TDs, which was the third-most among tight ends in the SEC.

This is what Tennessee tight ends could look like in the 2025 season

Staes’ exit and Kitselman’s potential return have changed UT’s options at tight end next season.

Kitselman was to be ineligible and Staes was expected to take over the starting job. The departure of Browder and Shouse also changes the group.

But don’t be surprised if a rookie is in the mix at tight end next season. Four-star recruits DaSaahn Brame and Jack Van Dorselaer signed with UT in the 2025 class. Both are early enrollees who will participate in spring training.

Brame, a 6-4, 219-pounder, was ranked No. 4 tight end in the 2025 class of 247Sports Composite. And Van Dorselaer, a 6-4, 230-pounder, was ranked No. 16 in tight end in the class.

How Josh Heupel uses tight ends now more than ever

The Vols have increasingly relied on tight ends in Josh Heupel’s offense.

In the 2024 season, UT tight ends had 50 catches for 532 yards and seven TDs.

In 2023, tight ends had 44 catches for 538 yards and nine TDs. In 2022, they had 36 catches for 417 yards and three TDs. In 2021, they had 37 catches for 406 yards and four TDs.

Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. E-mail [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparks. Support strong local journalism by subscribing knoxnews.com/subscribe.

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