Tennessee Football: Grading the Volunteers' Impact Freshmen After 4 Games

Tennessee's resounding wins over Utah State and Arkansas State, as well as its close game on the road against No. 13 Georgia, are due in no small part to the Volunteers' much-hyped and highly talented freshman class.

As the season progresses, and especially as the Vols begin looking toward the 2015 campaign, it will become clear that the 2014 class will set the stage for Tennessee's impending return to national relevance. 

Every recruiting class, no matter how highly ranked by national analysts, is bound to suffer from attrition and underwhelming performances. That's often due to players not conforming to program expectations or simply being overrated as high school recruits. 

So far, it appears that Tennessee head coach Butch Jones and his staff have not only avoided those issues, they have also put together a class that's playing far beyond the typical expectations of college freshmen in the SEC.

Here are grades for each of the Vols' biggest impact freshmen so far in 2014.

Jalen Hurd, RB

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Jalen Hurd arrived in Knoxville cold—literally and figuratively.

He was an early enrollee who began working out with the team in the frigid January air, and while most of his fellow newcomers were fresh off high school playoff runs, Hurd hadn't played a down of football since he suffered an injury in the opening game of his senior season in August 2012.

Participating in winter workouts and spring practices is undoubtedly a big reason why Hurd has progressed so quickly in Tennessee's offense. Although Marlin Lane is listed as the starting tailback for Saturday's matchup with the Florida Gators, Hurd is and will continue to be the focal point of the Vols' running game.

After two average performances against the team's opening opponents, Hurd began to run with more confidence against the Oklahoma Sooners before having a breakthrough game against the Bulldogs last weekend.

His 119 rushing yards and one touchdown on 24 carries are the most for a Tennessee true freshman since Jamal Lewis rushed for 127 yards in the 1997 SEC Championship Game, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press' Patrick Brown.

Hurd's large frame also makes him ideal for blocking assignments, and aside from a few miscues here and there, he has been solid creating space for quarterback Justin Worley to step up into the pocket and making room for wide receivers to make plays in space.

The one thing Hurd is missing from his short resume is a long touchdown run, but his explosiveness and ability to break tackles mean it's only a matter of time until he gets one.

Grade: A-

Ethan Wolf, TE

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With his prototypical height and weight, tight end Ethan Wolf may be the biggest asset to offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian's offense moving forward. With a scheme that relies heavily on tight ends, Tennessee's offense never ran at full capacity last season due to injuries to Brendan Downs and A.J. Branisel. 

With the addition of Wolf, who also arrived on campus in January and immediately began carving out a role as a starter, Bajakian and Worley have more room to get creative when distributing the ball down the field.

Wes Rucker of 247Sports reports that while Tennessee's tight ends coach, Mark Elder, sees upside in Wolf, he says the freshman also still has a few things to learn.

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There’s a lot of room for improvement there; there’s no question about that. There’s room for improvement with his blocking, there’s room for improvement with his receiving, route running, his physical capabilities. He can improve in all those areas. I don’t think he’s a tapped-out guy. You look at him, and you see he’s gonna develop physically over the next three years, and he’s gonna continue to develop technique-wise.

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Wolf's presence is already showing up in the stat sheets. Despite missing the game against Oklahoma, Wolf has 13 catches for 115 yards in 2014. Like Hurd, Wolf is improving each week, and his biggest game of the season came against the Bulldogs when he hauled in five catches for 69 yards. 

The Vols caught a huge break when the injury Wolf suffered against Arkansas State caused him to miss only a single game, as his presence will be critical in helping the team finish the season with a winning record. 

Grade: B-

Derek Barnett, DE

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Derek Barnett may have been a 4-star for 247Sports as a high school senior, but he's playing like a top-20 recruit. 

Barnett's commitment to the Vols over his hometown Vanderbilt Commodores shortly before national signing day this year didn't just help Tennessee lock down the state in terms of recruiting—it also gave the team one of its best pass-rushers in years.

A standout throughout summer camp, Barnett's raw ability quickly became apparent on game day, as he's notched 19 total tackles so far this season, including eight against Georgia last week.

Barnett is currently fifth on the team in total tackles, and while it's unlikely he will surpass stud linebackers A.J. Johnson and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, his progression from game to game means he could easily land in the top three or four by the time the season is over.

Although he has three tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries, Barnett hasn't notched a sack yet. At the rate he's going, it's hard to imagine he will be denied much longer. 

Grade: B+