Jacob Warren: Tennessee players must be 'special' to play tight end

During a year where Tennessee’s offense achieved historical numbers, the tight end group was a bit left out statistically. The team’s five leading pass catchers all recorded north of 400 yards and none of them were tight ends; rather, they were all wideouts, as Josh Heupel likes to spread his offense out and fire bombs to his wideouts.

Meanwhile, the tight ends picked up the scraps, with starter Princeton Fant going for just under 250 yards on the season, while his co-star at the position Jacob Warren racked up 163 yards and returns to be the starter this time around.

Warren isn’t too worried about is receiving numbers, though. As a tight end in Tennessee’s offensive system, he knows his role is to go out on every play and fulfill whichever task is asked of him. At SEC Media Days this week, he explained just that:

“Being a tight end in this offense, it takes a special mind, special person physically and mentally to be able to play tight end in this offense. Not because it’s super hard, but just because we’re asked a lot, we’re asked to do things that are kind of the central points of a lot of different plays, whether it’s run blocks or a pass concept or something that we’re relied on a lot to do things for other people within this offense.”

Warren continued, revealing that he likes that his position group is considered the intellectuals of the team.

“That’s something that myself and all my other tight ends in that group truly embrace. We enjoy the fact that we’re looked at as the smart guys, right? You couldn’t see it because it was under the table, I used quotations. We’re kind of that missing piece, kind of what we like to say. We take a lot of pride in being able to do that. Obviously love to get rewarded with some third down catches or some red zone touches and things like that.”

And they’ll still get their numbers. Perhaps with Tennessee’s two leading receivers over the last two years heading out the door, a window of opportunity will be opened for Jacob Warren and the other tight ends to haul in some more passes. Whether they do or do not improve on their statistical output from 2022, the position group is still one of the gears that makes the offense go in Knoxville. Warren wants folks to understand that.