Tennessee TE Ethan Davis Out for Season After ACL Injury

Tennessee tight end Ethan Davis will miss the remainder of the 2026 season after suffering an ACL injury during the second half of the Vols' 45-24 road win over Georgia Tech on Saturday, according to ESPN's reporting. Coach Josh Heupel announced the injury on Monday. Davis, a senior from Atlanta, had emerged as a key target for five-star freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon in Tennessee's undefeated start. At the time of his injury, Davis ranked as the Vols' third-leading pass catcher with three receptions for 43 yards and a pair of touchdowns across wins over Furman and Georgia Tech. He had recorded a touchdown reception in each of Tennessee's first two games of the season. The injury comes after Davis missed most of preseason camp last month with an ankle issue. Over four seasons at Tennessee, Davis had accumulated 39 passes for 433 yards and six touchdowns. Heupel addressed the loss in a statement reported by ESPN: "This game requires the next guy up. You have heard me talk about that. Our team has heard that, too. You have to be prepared for when your opportunity arises. The next guy, multiple guys have to step up in that role. I hate it for Ethan. The work he has put into it, the growth of the person and the player, that his season is cut short. The next guy has to be prepared and take advantage of the opportunity." Tennessee's remaining tight end options are headlined by sophomore DaSaahn Brame and South Alabama transfer Trent Thomas. Brame was ESPN's No. 194 overall recruit in the 2025 class and caught six passes for 63 yards as a freshman last year. He has played more snaps, 32, than any other Vols tight end this fall, per ESPN Research. Thomas, a fourth-year transfer who joined Tennessee via the portal this offseason, logged two receptions for 13 yards in Week 1 against Furman. Junior Cole Harrison has one career reception. Freshman Luca Wolf, a class of 2026 signee originally from Vienna, Austria, rounds out the depth chart.