A big addition at a spot of need.
Tennessee entered the offseason with a clear need at the tight end position, and that need become amplified when four-star tight end Jonathan Echols flipped his commitment to South Florida earlier this month. Suddenly, the Volunteers needed a couple more bodies in the room, at minimum.
They took care of the veteran aspect of the need by landing Notre Dame transfer Holden Staes, and late on Tuesday night, they added a prep prospect in Cole Harrison.
Committed! Huge thanks to my family, coaches, and teammates that helped me along the way. @coachwalsh20 @DariusBell_3 @CoachMattVinal @coachmons @CoachTTMP @CoachMikeHillSF @coachjoshheupel @AlecAbeln pic.twitter.com/CvSK9rCo3a
— Cole Harrison (@Cole_Harrison1) December 20, 2023
Harrison comes all the way from California, playing for Junipero Serra in San Mateo. The 6-5, 220 pound tight end is a three-star prospect, ranking 1,149th in the country overall, per 247Sports. He’s the 62nd ranked tight end in the class of 2024.
Washington State, Air Force, Army, Houston, Pitt, UNLV and San Diego State also offered Harrison, among a handful of other schools. Playing as a senior this past season, Harrison caught 37 passes for 652 yards and eight touchdowns.
So Tennessee ends up going the high school prospect route after all after landing Staes last week. It was likely going to be a tough sell to pull two tight ends out of the portal with Ethan Davis set to have a prominent role as well. The pure numbers at the position look better on paper, but building some depth behind that top two will be a big goal during spring practices.