National outlet recognizes unheralded Tennessee Vol as one of the best returning players at his position in 2025
Tennessee Volunteers tight end Miles Kitselman didn't see his name in the headlines all that often during the 2024 season despite a solid showing in his first season on Rocky Top. One national outlet is making sure that his efforts don't go unnoticed in 2025. Max Chadwell of Pro Football Focus put out his list […]
Tennessee Volunteers tight end Miles Kitselman didn't see his name in the headlines all that often during the 2024 season despite a solid showing in his first season on Rocky Top.
One national outlet is making sure that his efforts don't go unnoticed in 2025. Max Chadwell of Pro Football Focus put out his list of top ten returning tight ends in the country for next season, and Kitselman checked in at #7.
This is what Chadwell had to say about Kitselman:
Following a year at the JUCO level and two seasons at Alabama as a backup, Kitselman broke out in his senior year after transferring to Tennessee.
He finished 2024 as the seventh-most valuable tight end in the nation, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, and ranks fourth among returners at the position. Kitselman was also one of four tight ends in college football with top-25 PFF grades as a receiver and a run blocker. He hasn’t dropped a pass in his college career and is capable of displacing defenders in the run game at 256 pounds.
Kitselman's journey to such a list is quite the long one, and one that's required a lot of patience. He started off his college career in junior college at Hutchinson Community College in Kansas before transferring to Alabama for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. His usage with the Crimson Tide was minimal, as he totaled 2 catches for 18 yards in two years.
Enter 2024, and Kitselman had a substantial role in the Vols' offense. He had 22 catches for 301 yards and 4 touchdowns, adding a 1-yard rushing score against Georgia. He received a 77.0 PFF grade in 599 total snaps with a 78.4 grade in the passing game and a 71.4 run blocking grade.
Tennessee will be looking for answers in 2025 both in the passing game with a number of wide receivers leaving Knoxville and in the running game with Dylan Sampson moving onto the NFL and multiple offensive line starters having to be replaced.
Fortunately, they have someone returning who can help out in both areas. Someone who might get a little bit more attention this fall.
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