Dayne Davis announces return to Tennessee in 2024.
Tennessee redshirt senior offensive lineman Dayne Davis announced he will return to the Vols in 2024.
“With another year left of eligibility, I’ll be staying in Knoxville to compete for a championship one last year with my brother,” Davis announced. “Home is where my heart is, Rocky Top Tennessee.”
The 6-foot-7, 325-pound Davis appeared in 39 games for Tennessee from 2019-23. He redshirted in 2019.
Davis came to the Vols from Sullivan East High School in Bluff City, Tennessee.
Dayne Davis named SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week.
Tennessee redshirt senior Dayne Davis was named Southeastern Conference Offensive Lineman of the Week on Monday.
Davis made his second consecutive start at right tackle in Tennessee’s, 48-24, victory against Vanderbilt during the regular-season finale.
Tennessee’s offense totaled 617 yards against the Commodores.
In his fifth career start at Tennessee, Davis, a former walk-on from Bluff City, Tennessee, played 55 snaps and did not allow a sack or a hit, while not committing a penalty. Against Vanderbilt, the Vols averaged 7.8 yards per play and allowed one sack.
During the Josh Heupel era (2021-present), Tennessee has compiled 30 SEC weekly honors, including eight Offensive Lineman of the Week awards.
Tennessee’s five student-athletes will be honored on Sept. 16 during NASCAR Cup Series pre-race ceremonies at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Third-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed Davis and Lewis on the Southeastern Conference coaches media teleconference Wednesday ahead of the Vols’ season opener versus Virginia.
“Couldn’t find two guys inside of our program that are better representatives of what a college athlete should be, but what a Volunteer stands for,” Heupel said. “Those guys care so much about the guys around them. They bring their lunch pail, compete and work extremely hard every single day. You know what you are going to get from them every rep, every single day.
“Both guys have continued to grow inside of our program and guys that have a huge impact here. They do it right off the field, too. Two great representatives of Tennessee football.”
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Lewis, a redshirt senior defensive lineman, enters his second season at Tennessee in 2023.
He transferred to Tennessee after playing at East Tennessee State (2021) and Liberty (2018-20).
Lewis appeared in two games for the Vols in 2022, recording one tackle.
He played at David Crockett High School in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Lewis holds the school record for career tackles (246).
Davis, a redshirt senior offensive lineman, enters his fifth season at Tennessee in 2023. He appeared in 26 games, including three starts, with the Vols.
Davis is from Sullivan East High School in Bluff City, Tennessee.
Dayne Davis discusses ‘living the dream’ playing at Tennessee.
Tennessee concluded its fifth practice during fall training camp on Monday at Haslam Field.
Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Dayne Davis met with media following Monday’s practice.
The 6-foot-7, 325-pound Davis said his time at Tennessee has been a blessing after growing up being a fan of the Vols.
“It’s just truly a blessing,” Davis said. “I’ve been really blessed. I was a fan once, obviously, so I’m just living the dream, absolutely. It’s been nothing but amazing.”
Davis came to Tennessee as walk-on and was placed on scholarship in Dec. 2020.
“I never would’ve come here if I didn’t know that I could play here,” Davis said. “I’ve always had that mentality, and I never got down on myself.
“I always knew it was in me, just had to get that out. I knew my work ethic could get me where I wanted to go.”
Redshirt sophomore Dayne Davis enters his third season at Tennessee.
The 6-foot-7, 325-pound offensive lineman was placed on a full scholarship in December. He was a walk-on during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Following the Vols’ fifth spring practice, first-year Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed Davis and him receiving first group reps at left tackle.
“The guy has just been rock solid since we’ve gotten here, in the way that he competes, his attention to detail and how he competes out on the practice field,” Heupel said of Davis. “Those guys get graded every day, and the rotation up front, practice one, was based off of how they graded out in everything that they were doing every day leading up to spring ball. Now you get graded every day in practice, and based on that, that kind of sets the rotation as far as whether you’re playing with the ones, twos or threes for the day. He’s a guy that’s going to compete really hard.
“I think up front we have some flexibility with some of the guys that could play left or play right. They’ve had some experience doing that, but the biggest thing to me is just our players learning how to play snap to the echo of the whistle. There’s a lot of different schemes you can use, but at the end of the day, it’s about your effort. We use the word attack here inside of our program, and our kids are learning to do that. He’s a guy that’s been really consistent in the way he plays from snap to whistle.”
Photo by Dan Harralson, Vols Wire
Davis played at Sullivan East High School in Bluff City, Tennessee.
This in-state product spent his first two seasons in Knoxville as a walk-on.
Tennessee has awarded walk-on offensive lineman Dayne Davis a full scholarship.
Davis committed to Tennessee as a preferred walk-on in Feb. 2019. He has appeared in a limited number of games since arriving on campus.
The 6-foot-7, 315-pound sophomore is a native of Bluff City, Tennessee, and wears No. 66.
Thank you to @CoachJPruitt and all of Vol Football staff for the tremendous opportunity. I have been put on full scholarship at the University of Tennessee! 🍊God is great! pic.twitter.com/JGQvhswB0M
Davis spoke to Vols Wire after his commitment in 2019, with high praise for Tennessee’s coaching staff.
“This is the best staff I have talked to,” Davis said. “I was among the interest of several FCS schools, but by far Coach Pruitt, Coach Friend and Coach Stiff were the most welcoming coaches I had met and just absolutely made me feel at home.
“I am also ecstatic about the strength staff. Coach Fitz and his staff are the best around. Lastly, it has simply always been mine and my family’s dream for me to play at Tennessee.”
