Jacob Warren returning to Tennessee for 2023 season

Tennessee football got some really good news on Wednesday, learning that veteran tight end Jacob Warren would be returning for the 2023 season. Warren announced his return via Twitter, saying “I will be returning for my final year of eligibility and playing one more season at Tennessee.”

The Volunteers were going to be left in a tough spot if Warren left, with Princeton Fant already on the way out. There wasn’t much behind them on the depth chart with Miles Campbell in the transfer portal, so getting Warren to return is a really big win.

Tennessee has already landed UC Davis transfer McCallan Castles, bolstering the numbers at the position. They’re set to welcome freshman Ethan Davis from the class of 2023, while Charlie Browder and Hunter Salmon are expected to round out the depth chart.

Another layer at this spot is the departure of Alex Golesh, who left to take the South Florida job. Tennessee’s former offensive coordinator also handled the tight end position, and it remains to be seen how Josh Heupel fills that opening going forward.

Warren, a 6-6, 250 pound senior from Farragut, has seen action in 40 games with 19 starts. Though his production isn’t stellar, the tight end position is a difficult one to master with responsibilities in both the running and passing game. Getting a veteran back in the fold is going to cut out any potential learning curve, thanks to his experience in the system.

With so much offensive transition coming this offseason, it’ll be nice for the staff to have another familiar face back.