Josh Heupel Reacts to Tennessee Football Tight End Ethan Davis's Season-Ending Injury

What Josh Heupel had to say about Ethan Davis and his season-ending injury ahead of the Kennesaw State game.

Tennessee tight end Ethan Davis (0) smiles after scoring a touchdown during a Tennessee football game against Furman at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 5, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Tennessee Volunteers are losing one of their biggest returning starters from a season ago before even completing a quarter of the season. That player is Ethan Davis, who is a tight end for the Vols, and has been the only player on the roster to score a touchdown in both games that Tennessee has had thus far when it comes to receiving.

This was something that many shared their reaction to, including the Tennessee Volunteers' head football coach Josh Heupel. Here is what he had to say about the injury.

Josh Heupel Reacts to Ethan Davis's Injury

Sep 12, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tennessee Volunteers tight end Ethan Davis (0) scores a touchdown against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the first quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Yeah, this game requires the next guy up. You’ve heard me talk about that. Our team’s heard that too. You've got to be prepared for when your opportunity arises. And the next guy and multiple guys have to step up in that role. I hate it for Ethan- the work that he put into it, the growth of the person and the player, that the season is cut short. But the next guy’s got to be prepared and take advantage of their opportunity. You’ve seen a lot of those guys play already this year. They just got to continue to grow and step into that role," Heupel said.

The Tennessee Volunteers have a likely starter who will be stepping into the new role that has been vacated by the veteran tight end following his season-ending injury.

Josh Heupel Brags on Likely Starter Following Ethan Davis's Injury

Tennessee tight end DaSaahn Brame (7) walks into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ahead of the NCAA college football game between Tennessee and Florida on November 22, 2025, in Gainesville, Florida. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“DaSaahn’s got the ability to play out in space and play in the core, very similar to Ethan. Some of our other guys do too. DaSaahn’s really grown in his ability to play in the core. You look at the last run by Daune (Morris), DaSaahn is doing a great job inside the core on the second level. So, we got a ton of trust in him. And that’s a credit to his development over the last year,” Heupel said.

DaSaahn Brame is entering his second season with the Vols, and he is someone that Tennessee has been using heavily in the blocking game, but it is safe to say that he will now be asked to have a big role in the receiving game, which is where he is especially dangerous.

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