The Tennessee Volunteers began the season with two equally lauded freshman tight ends, both of whom earned four-star distinctions during their recruitment processes.
When the Vols travel to Norman, Okla., however, they may be one short. Because he suffered a knee bruise in UT’s contest against Arkansas State, Ethan Wolf is listed as questionable heading into Saturday.
While he could still play against Oklahoma, Wolf has yet to fully participate in any of Tennessee’s practices this week. The Vols, it seems, are preparing to do without the 6-foot-5-inch, 240 pounder.
“We’re going to rely on Daniel Helm, he’s going to have tremendous opportunity,” head coach Butch Jones said. “Brendan Downs and Alex Ellis, those three individuals will make a three-man tight end group by committee, which is the way it’s been pretty much all year.”
If Wolf is unable to play, though, his freshman counterpart, Helm, stands to benefit from his absence. During practice this season, he has taken the second-most snaps of any of the tight ends.
But for Helm, finding the field was not easy.
Although he has been listed as the Vols backup tight end alongside Alex Ellis all year, the Chatham, Ill., native had a flaw in his game that prevented him from seeing the field as often as the other tight ends.
“Coming in, Daniel was a guy that was really a wide receiver in high school – and a linebacker,” tight ends coach Mark Elder said. “He really demonstrated physicality, but he wasn’t really doing a whole lot of blocking.
“He’s steady been increasing his ability to block and being a true ‘Y’ tight end and that’s where I think he’s made the biggest stride.”
The 6-foot-4-inch, 240 pounder, however, learned the hard way what it takes to play at a physical, SEC level.
“There was one play where I came around and got tattooed by Curt Maggitt,” Helm said. “That kind of woke me up. But it was a good wake-up call, and now every time I get hit I’m like, ‘Oh yeah. It’s not high school anymore.’ It’s good. I’m always able to pop back up and go after it again.”
Helm has embraced the opportunity to play against the No. 4 Sooners, he is also hoping he won’t have to face Memorial Stadium’s hostile environment alone.
“All of us expect to get more just because we don’t know where he is right now,” Helm said. “We hope he can play. I definitely hope he can play, because I don’t want to be the only freshman tight end there, but I’m not going to prepare any differently.
“I have prepared to play a lot every week because we were rotating a lot. It’s just a little more intense this week.”
Helm made great improvements throughout the Vols’ fall camp and during the first two weeks of the season– all of which were for one simple reason.
“I got better because I had to,” Helm said. “I had to adjust to it and I had to get better, otherwise I wouldn’t see the field. I don’t quite know what it’s going to take this week, with it being our first game against a high, major conference team but I know they’re good. We respect them and I’m just going to give it my all.”
