Tennessee Football: 5 Volunteers Who Will Surprise vs. Alabama

The Tennessee Volunteers face a tough task on Saturday when No. 4 Alabama comes to Knoxville.

The Vols started out as more than two-touchdown underdogs in this contest, but with starting quarterback Justin Worley possibly sidelined due to a shoulder injury and several members of the team battling a flu virus, according to The Tennessean's Matt Slovin, the matchup could become even more lopsided.

That's why the Vols will need help from every member of the team capable of making big plays. 

Alabama is still the most talented college football team in the country, but games against West Virginia, Ole Miss and Arkansas proved the Crimson Tide isn't as invincible as it used to be.

Tennessee will need career games from key members of its defense, mistake-free football from its offense and special teams and a few breaks to bounce its way to upset Alabama.

That said, here are five players who could emerge as the MVPs of the game when the Tide and Lane Kiffin roll into Neyland Stadium on Saturday. 

Aaron Medley

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In a season marked by inconsistency on the offensive side of the ball, Aaron Medley is one of Tennessee's few reliable weapons for putting points on the board.

Although his field goals and extra points haven't exactly translated to wins yet, Medley's accuracy and calm under pressure, especially on the road, will lead to big wins for Tennessee in the future.

Look for Medley to have several chances on Saturday to put points on the board when the Vols' offense inevitably sputters throughout the game.

Alabama probably won't repeat its performance against Texas A&M on Saturday and put 59 points, so if the Tennessee defense holds for all four quarters, Medley's field goals—combined with an all-too-elusive offensive touchdown or two—may keep the Vols within striking distance until the very end. 

Jalen Hurd

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For the first time in years, the Vols will face off against Alabama with a running back who has just as much potential as any on the Crimson Tide's roster.

Granted, Hurd is young and running behind a largely ineffective offensive line, but he's still the hardest runner Tennessee has had since Montario Hardesty in 2009.

With Justin Worley's future this season at quarterback looking more and more uncertain due to a shoulder injury, according to Ryan Callahan at 247Sports, Hurd may see significant action in the Wildcat formation—starting with Saturday's game against Alabama.

Although the Wildcat package with Hurd hasn't been especially effective up to this point, it may be the Vols' best chance of gaining yardage depending on the productivity the team gets out of the quarterback position. 

Derek Barnett

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With 38 tackles, four sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss, Derek Barnett is having an absolutely monstrous freshman season.

But despite his high level of play, Barnett is receiving little to no national, or even regional, attention among SEC writers and analysts.

That could all change this weekend against Alabama.

If Barnett continues his level of productivity and has another game like he did against Ole Miss where he notched 10 tackles, his days of playing in relative obscurity could be over. 

To put his exceptional play into perspective, Barnett already has two more tackles than Jadeveon Clowney did during his entire freshman season and only two fewer tackles for loss. 

An exceptional performance on Saturday could all but guarantee him a spot as a Freshman All-American this season. 

Brian Randolph

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Redshirt junior Brian Randolph is quietly having a fantastic season in Tennessee's defensive backfield.

His 49 tackles and seven tackles-per-game average put him even with Alabama's Landon Collins for most in the SEC. 

Randolph snagged four interceptions last year, so it seems likely that he has at least one or two coming his way this season.

With Tennessee's offense struggling so much in recent weeks, a pick-six early in the game courtesy of Randolph is exactly what the Vols need to get momentum going right out of the gate. 

Josh Dobbs

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This is certainly a bold prediction, but if Justin Worley's injury prevents him from playing on Saturday, Josh Dobbs will get the nod over Nathan Peterman and play against Alabama.

Dobbs had an uneven freshman season. After coming in to replace an injured Worley last year against Alabama, he provided a spark to the Tennessee offense before seeming to regress against Auburn, Missouri and Vanderbilt.

And just when he seemed to hit his stride against Kentucky, the 2013 season was over. Tennessee fans' next glimpse of Dobbs came in the 2014 Orange and White Game, and he appeared to be significantly improved.

However, practice reports during summer and fall camp painted a grim picture, as Dobbs was apparently having accuracy issues and was well behind Worley and Peterman on the depth chart.

Still, despite his deficiencies, the truth remains that Dobbs has an SEC win under his belt and has more starting experience than Peterman, who seems to turn into a deer in headlights in big-game situations.

If he plays on Saturday, don't be surprised if Dobbs—who is the most mobile and agile of all signal-callers on the roster—remains Tennessee's quarterback for the rest of his career on Rocky Top.