Tennessee Football: 5 Toughest QBs Volunteers Will Face in 2016

Having a dynamic quarterback can separate the good teams from the great, and that's a key reason why the Tennessee football program needs capable senior Joshua Dobbs to take a giant leap in 2016.

It's also why the Volunteers should feel pretty strongly about their chances to win a lot of football games at first glance of this season's schedule. There are exactly zero proven star quarterbacks among the 12 opponents UT has on the docket.

It's truly an astounding list. 

Normally for these exercises, you've got to look at a body of work and extrapolate expectations from that, but in an examination of the top signal-callers on Tennessee's schedule, potential must be projected. There's simply not enough experience among the opposing quarterbacks.

Among the players on this list, there are three transfers, including a JUCO prospect and another player who couldn't cultivate playing time at Alabama or Oregon State. One of the trio left his school because he couldn't beat out the incumbent.

Then, there's a promising prospect who isn't even guaranteed the starting job at his school in Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason. But his upside is too great to leave off.

Players such as Missouri's Drew Lock, Vanderbilt's Kyle Shurmur and Appalachian State's Taylor Lamb—the reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year—just missed the list because there aren't enough quality playmakers around them to make them a real threat to a strong UT team.

That's why new Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop and a hungry bunch of Vols pass-rushers must be licking their chops.

Let's take a look at the most unproven list of opposing quarterbacks you're ever likely to see in the SEC and try to come up with a list of those who could give the Vols trouble in '16.

5. Jerod Evans, Virginia Tech

Credit: 247Sports

One of the quarterbacks on this list with the greatest amount of untapped potential is Virginia Tech JUCO transfer Jerod Evans.

The 6'4", 235-pound junior was the nation's top-ranked JUCO quarterback who was a major coup for the Hokies and new coach Justin Fuente once the former Memphis coach took over for the retired Frank Beamer. Though Evans isn't guaranteed a spot, he bolstered his chances with a strong spring game.

He's also a Fuente guy—hand-picked by the head coach to run his offense. For a coach grounded on that side of the ball, that's a component we can't overlook. And it isn't like fifth-year senior Brenden Motley has done a lot to separate himself, even with some past starting experience.

That perhaps gives Evans an upper hand, though the Hokies aren't expected to name a starter anytime soon. Evans threw for 104 yards and a touchdown in VT's spring game, and there were some flashes of brilliance.

Fuente wasn't giving anything away, but he did tell the Roanoke Times' Andy Bitter how highly he values game-like situations:

"

I'm always hesitant just to give a whole evaluation. I think both of those kids had great springs and made good progress. I try not to make too much of one practice. This was one of 15. While it was a spring game and it was a big deal — and we treat it like it was a big deal — we'll evaluate the entire body of work at the end of the spring now and kind of see how we feel about those guys.

"

Evans seems to have as strong a chance as any to win the job. Though all the puzzle pieces aren't currently in place to run Fuente's offensive system, having a player who can beat teams with his arm or feet can sometimes cover up a lot of warts.

Fortunately for the Vols, they get VT early in the season, so if Evans is the guy, he won't be settled into the system yet. But, on the flip side of that, there won't be much film to study on Evans, either.

He's a bit of a wild card, but his potential solidifies his place on the list.

4. Drew Barker, Kentucky

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

There was a reason why some of the top programs in the nation wanted the 6'3", 225-pound Drew Barker three years ago when he was being recruited out of Hebron, Kentucky.

The nation's sixth-rated pro-style passer ultimately decided to stay home and give new coach Mark Stoops his biggest recruiting prize yet. Now, three years later, Barker will try to help the coach save his job.

It's really his first real opportunity.

Last year, Barker replaced Patrick Towles and showed some flashes as a redshirt freshman, but he couldn't do enough down the stretch to lead the Wildcats to a bowl. This year, he'll try to use that limited experience (three starts) in 2015 to become the player many in the Bluegrass State believe he can be.

He was named starter following the spring, and 247Sports' Alex Forkner wrote about how well Barker played in the spring-ending Blue-White Game.

"

Barker finished the game with 156 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-18 passing, all in the first half. He found seven different receivers on the day and hit Ryan Timmons and C.J. Conrad on perfect passes for scores. His only blemish was a poorly-thrown ball that was picked off by Jared Tucker. However, he did respond with an efficient two-minute drill before halftime that was capped by the touchdown to Conrad.

"

Barker needs the help from the UK receivers that never came for the physically gifted yet inconsistent Towles, who transferred to Boston College once it was clear Stoops saw Barker as the future. If that comes, it could be the season that Stoops finally leads Kentucky to the postseason.

If that happens, he's almost guaranteed to keep his job.

Barker is big, fairly mobile for his size and possesses a strong arm. He has all the physical skills to be a solid quarterback in the SEC, and he is the type of player who can lead his team to bigger and better things after being mired in sub-mediocrity the past few seasons.

It's time for him to live up to his billing as the favorite son who saves the program.

3. Jacob Eason, Georgia

John Bazemore/Associated Press

Of all the players recruited into the 2016 cycle by SEC programs, Georgia quarterback Jacob Eason was probably one of the two with the most hype along with Ole Miss signal-caller Shea Patterson.

The 6'5 ½", 208-pound 5-star prospect from Lake Stevens, Washington, looked like he'd have a drama-free recruitment early on, committing to the Bulldogs while Mark Richt was the head coach. But when Richt was fired, new coach Kirby Smart had some work to do to hang on to his quarterback of the future.

He wound up getting his man, and Eason's stellar spring showed some signs that it won't take too long for him to be ready.

While Smart hasn't named a starter as of yet, Greyson Lambert returns with some starting experience as a senior. The popular thing among coaches is to go with the most experienced player, but there's little question who has the most talent.

Eason has one of the highest upsides of any SEC signal-caller, and his era may begin sooner rather than later. If the Bulldogs can meet their immediate need for an impact quarterback by playing Eason and dealing with the inevitable freshman mistakes, it's a no-brainer what to do.

Smart hasn't promised anything just yet, but he also told radio show host Paul Finebaum (via 247Sports' Rusty Mansell) he isn't reluctant to start a true freshman.

"I have no objections to him starting the first game," Smart told Finebaum. "I want the guy that gives us the best chance to win to start the first game. Whoever that is, that is 20-something practices from now, so we will know a lot more."

It sounds like Eason will get every opportunity to be the guy between the hedges, and by the time the Bulldogs get to try to exact some revenge against the Vols after UT came back from a 24-3 hole to upset UGA last year, it could be the freshman's team.

If that's the case, look for Shoop to blitz the youngster like crazy, which would force him to make quick decisions. But, really, if Eason's maturity outweighs his mistakes, the Bulldogs should just take their lumps with the first-year player. He sure looks like he's got the ability to be special—may as well start now.

2. Luke Del Rio, Florida

Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

Considering Luke Del Rio hasn't been able to sniff a starting spot at Alabama or Oregon State, there's little reason the Vols should fear him.

But when he puts on that Florida jersey, anything can (and usually will) happen against the Vols. After all, Tennessee made Jeff Driskel, Treon Harris, Tyler Murphy and Will Grier look like superstars in recent years. 

So, that's why Del Rio is going so high on this list.

The 6'1", 216-pound redshirt junior was solid this spring, and it looks like there won't be much of a competition for the job, even though he hasn't been named yet. Transfer Austin Appleby is also in the mix.

Head coach Jim McElwain told SEC Country's Zach Abolverdi prior to spring drills that the son of Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio was impressing everybody in Gainesville:

"

He's been having some really good practices out there. I think you guys were probably updated even through kind of the summer of when he came here he was a little bit of a spark plug out there. A guy who kind of knows how to go about it. He'll be a guy obviously heavily in the mix moving forward. We're sure excited he's here.

"

With his job on the line in the spring game, Del Rio showed out. Though Florida is in need of some offensive playmakers, Del Rio and JUCO transfer running back Mark Thompson look like they could be the next wave of stars for the Gators.

Though his performance wasn't enough for McElwain to name him the starter, he unquestionably went into the offseason as the favorite. With two years left to play, he could develop into a guy who could give the Vols and everybody else in the East fits.

McElwain did a sterling job with Grier last year before he was suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs and later transferred to West Virginia. Yes, the Gators struggled with Harris under center, but McElwain does best with traditional dropback passers.

Del Rio is in that mold, and with him at the helm, this year's UF offense could be much better than the one last season.

The Vols just need to start with being able to stop him on fourth downs; that would be an improvement over last year.

1. Trevor Knight, Texas A&M

Alonzo Adams/Associated Press

Trevor Knight is hoping to resurrect his once-promising career under the tutelage of head coach Kevin Sumlin and new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone.

On the other hand, Sumlin likely needs a big year from the Oklahoma transfer to produce double-digit wins and keep him in College Station, Texas, a little longer after a rocky couple of years.

They need each other, and a lot of the ingredients are there for a quality season for A&M.

But for him to be the top quarterback UT faces this year? Yeah, that ought to tell you about just how weak of a slate of signal-callers the Vols have to go against this year. Knight couldn't sniff the field for the Sooners once Baker Mayfield became eligible.

All of a sudden, a player who obliterated Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl before torching Tennessee the following September battled injuries, inconsistency and became an afterthought in Norman. With one season left in his college career, he'll try to make a comeback.

A&M is the perfect spot for him to do so. With megastar playmakers such as Christian Kirk and Josh Reynolds (among other quality receivers) surrounding him, the Aggies could be prolific if Knight brings some veteran savvy and stays healthy.

Former Oklahoma defensive tackle Tony Casillas seems to think Knight will do well, tweeting (shockingly) this past week: "Great seeing Trevor Knight execute in spring practice, he may be better than Mayfield in a real conference."

Ouch.

SEC Country's Adam Stites wrote that the Knight-Mazzone marriage could be a sweet one in Texas. 

"At first glance, Mazzone’s offense looks like a typical uptempo, air-raid offense," Stites wrote. "Knight will be asked almost exclusively to be in shotgun with four wide receivers split out wide. The goal, like any spread offense, is to isolate matchups for his best players."

There are tons of players at the receiver position for A&M with Kirk, Reynolds, Speedy Noil and others. Knight can sling it, and if he's healthy, that has the potential to be a nightmare matchup for the Vols on the road.

But Tennessee has a lot of potential stars in the secondary, too, so that will be an intriguing game to watch. The Vols just hope to fare better against Knight than the last time they saw him in an Oklahoma uniform.

All quotes and information gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered at CFBStats.com unless otherwise noted.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee lead writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter @Brad_Shepard.