Joe Osovet Reveals What He Looks for in a TE, His Favorite Part of Working at UT, and More

Tennessee tight ends coach Joe Osovet answered a few questions that Tennessee fans were dying to know the answer to on Thursday morning — sitting down with Tennessee Football’s social media managers for a brief Q&A...

Tennessee tight ends coach Joe Osovet answered a few questions that Tennessee fans were dying to know the answer to on Thursday morning — sitting down with Tennessee Football’s social media managers for a brief Q&A. The questions ranged from the former JUCO coach’s favorite RPO play, to his favorite Pizza Restaurant in the Knoxville area.

Tight Ends, RPO's and 🍕@CoachOsovet answers your questions about it all pic.twitter.com/UQFujQWjkS

— Tennessee Football (@Vol_Football) June 25, 2020

One of the more serious questions that Osovet answered was what exactly he looked for when deciding whether to recruit a tight end. “Physicality,” replied Osovet quickly. “Obviously you have to be able to block the see area, being able to block the perimeter, being polished — showing pass catching ability.” Osovet’s answer should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the University of Tennessee’s program, as that core ideal is shared by head coach Jeremy Pruitt and a vast majority of other SEC head coaches.

Osovet was also one of the lead recruiters — along with Will Friend — for Hudson Wolfe, the No. 1 TE in the nation and a native of the Volunteer State. It’s no secret that Wolfe has shown his fair share of physicality so far at the high school level, earning offers from some of the nation’s most prestigious College Football programs. Wolfe earned offers from Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, and others during his recruitment — although he officially committed to Osovet and the Vols earlier in the month.

Osovet would also reveal what the biggest difference was in going from a small JUCO school to a larger football program. “There’s just so many resources here for kids to be successful here at the University of Tennessee that you don’t have at the JUCO level — which is obviously great for our kids here,” said Osovet.

Osovet came to Knoxville after a very successful career at the JUCO ranks: helping players earn the opportunity to play at the next level from 1995 to 2017. He coached 11 players that would go on to make it to the NFL and 47 that would later be able to have the chance to play at the Division 1 level. As for Osovet himself, his chance to hop into more competitive waters came in 2017, when newly hired Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt named him as the Vols’ Director of Football Development — a title that he would later drop in favor of becoming Tennessee’s new tight ends coach. 

As for what Osovet enjoyed the most about working on Rocky Top, the answer came quite easily to him. “The coaching staff is amazing, the support staff is amazing, the fanbase is remarkable,” said Osovet. “There’s a certain electricity every time you step on the field at Neyland that’s something that’s unmatched all over the country. This program is on its way up, there’s so many great things that are going on here. How could you not want to be a part of University of Tennessee Football?”

Osovet’s first game as the Vols’ new tight end coach is currently set for September 5th against the Charlotte 49ers. Until then, Osovet will continue to work hard on the recruiting trail in hopes of helping the Vols put together their best class of the Jeremy Pruitt Era.