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Tennessee

DaSaahn Brame taking ‘baby steps’ in adjustment to college game

On3 imageby: Eric Cain08/03/25_Cainer
DaSaahn Brame. Credit: Volquest
DaSaahn Brame. Credit: Volquest

DaSaahn Brame was a highly rated four-star prospect out of Kansas who signed with the Vols last December. He was flexed out on offense and returned kicks at the prep level and was the best athlete on the field 99 percent of the time.

Adjusting to life in the Southeastern Conference now as a true freshman is a battle each and every day. For Brame, it’s about getting just a little bit better each and every practice and that has been evident early in fall camp.

“It’s definitely been a lot of work. I had to put in a lot of work this summer and getting used to that. But I feel like it’s baby steps- everyday getting better at it,” the freshman tight end said of the physicality difference. “In high school, I was bigger than a lot of guys. Now, there’s a lot of guys bigger than you, so it is about footwork and technique.”

The quick-twitch athlete has impressed over the course of the first few practices of fall camp. Brame excels in space, running routes and catching the football. He’s now being tasked with putting a hand in the dirt and blocking defensive linemen and linebackers who are bigger than him.

On top of it all, the early enrollee missed much of spring ball last semester and was forced to watch from the sidelines. Instead of becoming complacent, Brame took advantage of the situation to better himself for right now.     

“Not being able to play as much in spring, it was rough,” Brame admitted. “But it helped me get in the playbook a little bit more, study and watch film a little bit more. It was hard not being able to experience the plays, but I feel like it kind of helped me going into summer and fall camp.”

The tight end has put in the work. When he arrived on campus in January, Brame weighed around 218 pounds. As of Thursday, the rookie is up to 243 pounds and pushing for the 250-pound mark by the start of the season.

“I think when he got kind of reintroduced towards the back half of spring ball, there were a couple of days where it’s, ‘oh man, I’m behind,’ and a little bit of that sits in,” tight ends coach Alec Abeln said. “I think looking back, man, what a blessing. The summer he has had as far as how detailed he’s been and the work he’s put in – all the stuff to get caught up, where he doesn’t feel that way, and fall camp has been really good for him.”

Super senior Miles Kitselman leads the tight end group. Redshirt-sophomore Ethan Davis will split time with the first team. Brame and fellow true freshman Jack Van Dorselaer are competing for snaps as the third-team tight end. Both bring something different and unique to the table and it’s a good thing because there’s plenty to eat in the tight end room.  

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