Tennessee Football: Checking in on Progress of Vols' Top Freshmen

The Tennessee football team has been forced to play 22 true freshmen already in the first three games of the 2014 season. When that happens, some pretty harsh realities are inevitable.

A 34-10 setback at the hands of the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners was the first tough lesson learned Saturday night in Norman, but it was also a game in which UT learned a lot about itself.

The Vols are green but growing. They battled. At times against OU, they played extremely well on both sides of the ball.

They found some wrinkles—finally—in the running game. They made a couple of big plays downfield. They hit hard and showed up on third down throughout the entire contest on defense.

A group of talented, coveted freshmen are playing all over the place, and they're improving with every rep they get.

With a bye week looming before SEC play starts on the road at Georgia, it's a good time to take an early-season assessment of how UT's most depended-upon first-year players are faring.

Jalen Hurd, Running Back

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Former coveted running back Jalen Hurd was the bell cow of Tennessee's 2014 recruiting class. He has done nothing to disappoint so far, leading the team with 209 rushing yards throughout the first three games and a 4.4 average.

Those numbers may seem pedestrian, but given UT's major struggles in run blocking so far, they're impressive. Hurd has the size to pound for the tough yards and proved against Oklahoma what he can do in the open field.

The Hendersonville, Tennessee, native broke out with 97 rushing yards on 14 carries against the Sooners, averaging nearly seven yards per carry. His performance earned the praise of his idol and fellow tall running back—former Tennessee Titans star Eddie George, who tweeted:

"

Jalen Hurd @Vol_Football will be a SuperStar!!! #beast

"

Hurd also has four catches for 40 yards and has scored a rushing and a receiving touchdown. He can do it all, and the better the run blocking gets, the more he'll thrive. The Vols simply lean on him because of what he can do with the ball in his hands. 

So far, he's responded.

Hurd is getting better and better, improving his blocking and reading creases. He also can be relied upon in short-yardage situations. Though a 1,000-yard season is going to be a stretch given the team's slow start, he'll lead the Vols in rushing and turn into an All-SEC performer down the road.

Derek Barnett, Defensive End

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Tennessee can't keep Derek Barnett off the field.

Vols head coach Butch Jones told Wes Rucker (subscription required) back in camp that his freshman defensive end was "the epitome" of effort, but it's easy to pay lip service to youngsters before they step onto the field.

Barnett has backed it up and then some.

He was simply all over the field against Oklahoma, fighting through holds and adverse situations to make play after play. He finished with five tackles, including one for a loss and a quarterback hurry, but those numbers don't do his game justice.

He's a terror for even the best linemen to block.

One of the most impressive things so far about Barnett is his football acumen and hustle, often displaying elite back-side pursuit and running down plays that don't go to his side.

He's also disciplined beyond his years in his rush lanes and rarely lets anything get beyond him due to getting sucked in too far.

He's seventh on the team with 11 tackles, including two for a loss, and is tied for the Vols lead with two quarterback hurries. On a team full of players who get after the quarterback, he's arguably UT's best pass-rusher.

Heaping hyperbole on freshmen at this stage is easy to do, but Barnett is playing like he has a one-way ticket to stardom. 

Barnett is the best freshman defensive lineman to come through Knoxville since John Henderson, and he is going to anchor UT's front for the foreseeable future.

Jashon Robertson, Offensive Guard

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The James Franklin fallout at Vanderbilt benefited Tennessee on so many levels.

First, it appears the Commodores aren't going to be the instate threat to UT on the recruiting trail (or the football field, for that matter) that they were during Franklin's tenure.

Also, the Vols were the beneficiary of defensive tackle Michael Sawyers and offensive guard Jashon Robertson, who flipped to UT after Franklin bolted Nashville for Penn State last year.

Robertson coming to UT may be the biggest gift.

The 6'3", 304-pound lineman made the switch from defensive tackle to offensive guard in fall camp and within a couple of weeks, he was starting. It was a remarkable surge for the first-year Vol, but he is a natural at his new position.

A high school wrestler, Robertson is incredibly strong with a low center of gravity and powerful hands. Throughout UT's first three games, the only lineman who has been consistently better is fourth-year junior Marcus Jackson.

Years in the weight room and learning better technique should turn Robertson into an NFL guard, and he's an ideal fit for a guard in Butch Jones' system. He's that good and hearkens back memories of a young Cosey Coleman. 

There will be some growing pains for Robertson like any first-year SEC lineman, but he has massive ability and will be a staple in the starting lineup throughout his career. The Vols got a steal.

Todd Kelly Jr., Safety

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Once Todd Kelly Jr. got onto the football field against Utah State, it was only a matter of time before he earned a starting spot.

Though he had some predictable growing pains after starting against Oklahoma and giving way to veteran LaDarrell McNeil early, that doesn't do much to diminish his bright future.

He's a special talent, and he has flashed on the field. JC Shurburtt (subscription required) of 247Sports said this week:

"

…[M]ake no mistake about it, Kelly is outstanding.

"

Kelly is a ball-hawking safety who is physical enough to cause damage in the run game. With McNeil playing the best football of his career, it's going to be a weekly battle to see who starts opposite Brian Randolph, but Kelly is getting some experience already.

He started against Arkansas State and played well enough to earn another start against Oklahoma. Early in the game against the Sooners, he was in position to intercept Trevor Knight but settled for a pass deflection.

Thus far, TK Jr. has seven tackles and a fumble recovery.

With his size and speed, Kelly is going to be a key cog in the back end of UT's defense for years to come. He's one of the Vols' top three safeties right now, and there's no reason to believe he won't be in the mix all season.

Ethan Wolf, Tight End

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Want to know how vital Ethan Wolf is to the success of Tennessee's offense?

After he went down with an injury against Arkansas State, UT quarterback Justin Worley didn't target a Vols tight end the rest of the game—or in the Oklahoma contest, which he sat out as well.

With Wolf on the sideline, the Sooners pummeled Worley off the edges where the sure-blocking Wolf would normally be helping to protect.

Said UT coach Butch Jones in his postgame press conference, according to Tennessee's official Twitter account:

"

Any time Ethan Wolf doesn't play, it hurts you.

"

The 6'5", 240-pound tight end from Minster, Ohio, may not be UT's offensive most valuable player, but he probably isn't far off, either. He's a do-it-all talent who is big and powerful enough to be an aggressive edge-blocker, and he also possesses soft enough hands to be a weapon in the passing game.

Wolf had eight catches for 46 yards in the first six quarters-plus before his injury, but those numbers don't do his value to the offense justice.

He's a weapon on first downs and third downs, and once UT's offensive line jells, Wolf will be able to help more than he has in the passing game.

The Vols need him to return for Georgia from his bruised knee, because they're a different offense with him on the field.

Josh Malone, Wide Receiver

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Josh Malone's name hasn't been called as much as many of Tennessee's weapons in a loaded receiving corps, but that could change in the coming weeks.

With Von Pearson sidelined recovering from a high-ankle sprain and Josh Smith getting hurt against Oklahoma, the 6'3", 204-pound freshman pass-catcher from Gallatin, Tennessee could see his reps increase dramatically over the coming weeks in some crucial games.

Thankfully for the Vols, he's talented enough to meet the challenge.

The Vols have a bye this week to hopefully let Pearson and Smith get a little better, but Malone has proven capable when his number has been called.

In training camp, he gotten behind a little because of up-and-down practices, according to The Associated Press' Steve Megargee (via The Tennessean), but Malone hasn't disappointed in game action.

He is sixth on the team with five catches for 63 yards, and he caught two of those balls for 23 yards in the 34-10 loss to Oklahoma last weekend.

Malone needs to work on his practice habits and route running, but his catching and speed are already on a high level. He's going to be a dominant force in the coming years.

Dillon Bates, Outside Linebacker

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A dynamic start by Jalen Reeves-Maybin and the speed edge-rushing wrinkle Chris Weatherd provides from an outside linebacker spot have blocked the path to playing time for Dillon Bates.

The 6'3", 222-pound freshman linebacker has found his way onto the field in all three games so far and has quietly piled up six tackles including three solos. 

His future is going to be a good one, but UT has to find the best place Bates fits. Can he add 15 more pounds and fill the major void left by A.J. Johnson at the middle linebacker spot once he departs after this season, or is his prowess in coverage too good to keep him off the field on the outside?

That remains to be seen, but he has a starting ceiling for certain, likely as early as next season.

Given the way UT's outside linebackers are playing in this new speedy, uptempo defense, it's doubtful Bates will crack the lineup without an injury. But this is the natural, normal progression of a freshman linebacker.

Bates hasn't made any big plays yet, but the season is young.

He's providing some reserve reps now as he learns to get more physical, and Bates is going to be a good one once he sees an opening into the rotation at outside 'backer.

Coleman Thomas, Offensive Tackle

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When Jashon Robertson made it impossible to keep him off the field back in camp, Coleman Thomas got replaced in the starting lineup. 

Robertson settled in at right guard, bumping Kyler Kerbyson into Thomas' right tackle position and relegating the promising tackle prospect to the sideline. 

Then starting left tackle Jacob Gilliam tore his ACL during the season-opener against Utah State and was replaced by Brett Kendrick, who struggled in his only start against Arkansas State. That necessitated the move of Kerbyson to the left tackle spot to protect Justin Worley's blind side.

Re-enter Thomas, the latest "new" name in the revolving door that has been UT's offensive line.

The freshman made his first career start in Memorial Stadium with one of college football's most fearsome pass-rushers—Oklahoma's Eric Striker—breathing down his neck.

Predictably, it didn't go well.

But, as the game progressed, Thomas had some moments when he showed why coaches are excited about his massive potential. He's big and athletic enough to play there, and there's a reason why he spent all of spring and the first part of fall drills as the starter at right tackle.

Thomas has got to improve his mental makeup and forget about mistakes quickly, because there are going to be many. He also has to be quicker shuffling outside to stop speed-rushing ends that are prevalent in the SEC.

There are going to be some growing pains, but Thomas looked capable of manning that spot. He's going to have to learn in the pressure cooker.

Aaron Medley, Place Kicker

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The first time Aaron Medley stepped onto the Neyland Stadium turf to line up for a field goal, he clipped the ground and sent a wounded duck in the general vicinity of goal posts but way, way right. Tennessee fans everywhere cringed.

Since then, things have gone much better.

There's no denying the big leg of the Lewisburg, Tennessee, youngster. It's the consistency he has to improve. When he does, Medley is going to have a great career.

He has already gotten better with experience. So far, he has made four of his six field-goal attempts and all of his extra points. Medley has missed just one kick inside 40 yards and has shown in pregame warm-ups that he has no trouble booming the long ones when the Vols call on him.

Most importantly, Medley seems unfazed and confident. Even after the two he has missed this season, Medley sent both the ensuing field goals perfectly through the uprights.

After a preseason battle with Knoxville native George Bullock that went all the way up to the first game, Medley has yet to relinquish his place-kicking starting duties.

It looks like the Vols have found their kicker of the future.

Unless otherwise noted, all statistics gathered from UTSports.com and observations obtained firsthand. All recruiting information from 247Sports.

Brad Shepard covers SEC football and is the Tennessee Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow Brad on Twitter here:

@Brad_Shepard