Tennessee Football: Early Look at Vols' 2015 Roster

When Tennessee head football coach Butch Jones embarks on year three of his program in 2015, it'll shed itself of the "rebuilding" moniker. That phase completed with the Volunteers' trip to Jan. 2's TaxSlayer Bowl.

Jones' roster should begin to fill out with fewer holes thanks to two larger-than-normal recruiting classes in the 2014 and '15 cycles.

And while there have been some unexpected roster casualties that happen with any reclamation project, the Vols should have ample talent to start winning more games.

Thanks to Jones' stellar recruiting, UT is able to combat the loss of a player such as Helm by having Ethan Wolf, A.J. Branisel and Neiko Creamer coming back as well as Kyle Oliver coming in. Hendrix leaving? How about replacing him with 5-star Kahlil McKenzie, 4-star Shy Tuttle and others.

These are the fruits of building a program the right way.

Let's take a look ahead at Tennessee's projected 2015 roster position by position, and you'll see a team that has folks on Rocky Top excited and some around the conference expecting UT to contend for the division.

Offense

Tennessee's once-shaky quarterback situation solidified somewhat with sophomore Joshua Dobbs bursting onto the scene with all-world performances against South Carolina and Kentucky.

Though he came back down to Earth a bit against Mizzou and Vanderbilt, the 6'3", 216-pound signal-caller still showed star power and the ability to put the team on his shoulders and carry it to victory. He has leadership qualities that are difficult to teach.

Dobbs is still a work in progress, but if he progresses the way he's expected to, it's not difficult to see him as one of the SEC's next stars. He has the ability to beat teams with his arm or legs.

Behind him, Nathan Peterman is still on the roster (for now) and has played some snaps, though none that were worth remembering.

The Vols are bringing in a duo of quarterbacks of the future, including Murfreesboro 4-star Jauan Jennings and 3-star Quinten Dormady of Texas. Dormady is already on campus, and Jennings is doing extra work to become a mid-term enrollee, according to GoVols247's Ryan Callahan (subscription required).

Another name to watch is former Florida commit Sheriron Jones, who decommitted from the Gators and told 247Sports' Ryan Bartow that UT now heads his list. Given the dearth of depth at the position, it's not out of the realm of possibility that the Vols could take three signal-callers.

Both Jennings and Dormady are extremely talented, and either could be the face of the future. It's highly likely that barring an unforeseen transfer of an upperclassman, one will back up Dobbs in '15.

At running back, Jalen Hurd will be looking around the film room at a whole new group of players beside him as well. Scott's transfer along with the end to Marlin Lane's and Devrin Young's eligibility means Hurd will be one of the two elder statesman next year along with senior transfer Justus Pickett.

Hurd is certainly the bell cow of the offense and a cornerstone for what the Vols want to do, but he's got a huge helper coming in, too.

Alvin Kamara—the former Alabama commit and nation's second-ranked JUCO runner—is a special talent who has all the intangibles to be elite. He will certainly come right in and get immediate important carries.

Rusty Mansell of 247Sports tweeted this week something that excited UT fans even more about Kamara:

Bruising freshman Rocky Reid and in-state athlete Vincent Perry could also find their way into the backfield for the Vols. But a wild card thrown into the mix is special teams dynamo and speedy senior transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV, who played for Jones at Cincinnati and is transferring to Knoxville to end his career.

Abernathy could provide a nice change-of-pace for UT, and he's a quality piece to an offense that likes to get players in space. Tennessee continues its search to land at least one more running back in this cycle, and most of those efforts center on Bryce Love.

If the Vols can convince Love to come to Knoxville, he will be a big-play producer down the road.

The 2014 Vols receiving corps was a stable of walking wounded, but they've got as much talent as anybody in the country when healthy.

Marquez North, Josh Smith, Josh Malone, Jason Croom, Von Pearson and Pig Howard are all expected back. Throw in some talented youngsters who showed flashes such as Vic Wharton and Ryan Jenkins as well as 5-star Preston Williams (the nation's fifth-ranked receiver per 247Sports), and the Vols will have plenty of weapons for Dobbs.

Williams, especially, looks like he has special abilities.

Helm's departure at tight end leaves a bit of a gulf, but Ethan Wolf was the big surprise this season as the 6'5", 240-pound freshman was UT's starter when healthy for much of the year. Junior walk-on Alex Ellis also earned valuable reps, and he'll settle in at No. 2.

The Vols have plenty of talent besides them, too. A.J. Branisel sat out this season recovering from a torn ACL after hauling in three catches (including a touchdown) as a true freshman. Freshman athlete Neiko Creamer bounced around at several positions before settling at tight end and taking a year to redshirt and gain weight.

Finally, Oliver has high upside, and if the Vols can hang on to the Murfreesboro prospect between now and signing day, he is a tall, athletic tight end in the mold of Alabama's O.J. Howard.

The biggest question mark on Tennessee's entire team will remain its offensive line. Sure, when Dobbs entered the picture, the sacks allowed went down, but then came the Missouri game when the same old issues reared their heads.

The bottom line is the line has to improve dramatically. Senior right tackle Jacob Gilliam is the only player out of eligibility, and all the others who were part of the rotation return. Somehow, UT has to find a pair of tackles to allow Kyler Kerbyson to slide back inside. Coleman Thomas, too, probably has seen his last days at tackle.

A key to the whole group is redshirting junior offensive tackle Dontavius Blair, who couldn't crack the rotation this year and took a season to get stronger. UT desperately needs him to anchor a tackle spot next season. Sophomore Brett Kendrick is another candidate to play out there.

A freshman group of Chance Hall, Jack Jones, Venzell Boulware and Zach Stewart may be counted on earlier than usual, and if Charles Mosley can return from his broken leg and become a huge factor (at tackle perhaps?), UT could improve a lot out there by 2015.

Those are big "ifs," but offensive line coach Don Mahoney should begin to feel some heat if he can't find the right formula of five. 

Defense

RICHARD SHIRO/Associated Press

Second-year coordinator John Jancek's unit made a monumental leap forward in 2014, going from 84th nationally in total defense a season ago to 35th. The Vols could make an even bigger step forward in 2015 if they can find a replacement for departing senior middle linebacker A.J. Johnson.

Without any semblance of a pass rush for much of the past decade, Tennessee wallowed in the bottom tier of the league defensively. Enter Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt, and UT finished third in the SEC and 18th nationally in tackles for loss.

More talent is on the way, too.

Let's start by taking a look at the defensive line, where rising sophomore Barnett is a superstar around which any team in the nation would like to build. The Nashville native was virtually unblockable for much of the season, and there's no reason to believe he'll do anything but improve.

Maggitt is expected to return for his senior season to anchor the other edge, and by the end of the year, he may have been UT's best at getting to the quarterback. He simply began to play at another level he hadn't throughout his entire career.

LaTroy Lewis, Corey Vereen and Jaylen Miller all played well at times this season, and outside linebacker Chris Weatherd can put his hand down and rush the passer, too.

How are the Vols adding to that embarrassment of riches at defensive end? Darrell Taylor, Andrew Butcher and Marques Ford are all scheduled to play in high school All-America games.

Throw in the possibility that UT remains in the picture for 4-star Kyle Phillips and 4-star D'Andre Walker, and the recruiting haul at that position could be the best in the nation.

On the interior, the Vols played much of the season with a two-man defensive tackle tandem of Danny O'Brien and Jordan Williams. With Jordan Williams out of eligibility, Owen Williams could slide in and be a senior leader there. 

But they've got a lot of young star talent to battle against. Dimarya Mixon could be an athletic force with a full offseason in the weight room, and the trio of newcomers could all compete for immediate playing time.

It all starts with McKenzie, who is 247Sports' No. 1-ranked player in the entire class and the Composite's second-ranked overall. He has the size and athleticism to come in and immediately dominate, and it's hard to imagine he won't get snaps right off the bat.

How can you not play a guy who spits out highlight reels like this?

Then, there's Tuttle, who would be the centerpiece of most defensive line classes as the 247Composite's fifth-ranked DT, but he's just another star in this year's haul for UT line coach Steve Stripling. Add in versatile lineman Quay Picou, and the Vols have three players with extremely high ceilings to add to a shallow depth chart inside.

If Michael Sawyers returns, he has the body to get into the rotation, and if he stays committed to the weight room, he could realize his potential as well.

Linebacker is going to be a position that has to grow as the season progresses. Losing Johnson is going to hurt badly, as everybody saw when he was suspended the season's final two games during a sexual-assault investigation.

Filling in during his absence is massive freshman Jakob Johnson—a 6'4", 240-pound German native who has a lot of potential but lateral limitations. 

He'll have plenty of competition to hold down the middle in 2015. 

Dillon Bates, who received a medical redshirt after playing sparingly before tearing his labrum, could be a perfect fit there, and Kenny Bynum is a veteran who is solid against the run. Also, Gavin Bryant redshirted and has all the physical attributes SEC teams like in 4-3 middle linebackers.

Finally, UT could receive some huge news Monday with the announcement of 4-star prospect Darrin Kirkland Jr. The one-time Michigan commit is announcing between UT, Ole Miss, Texas and Oklahoma, and the 247 Crystal Ball currently points to Tennessee as the favorite.

If the Vols get Kirkland, he could make things extremely interesting in the middle next season.

Outside, it starts with Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who became an integral part of Tennessee's defense this year, registering 88 tackles including 10 for a loss. Between senior pass-rush specialist Weatherd and big-hitting freshman Cortez McDowell, UT looks solid there.

Bates' natural position is on the outside, and he's UT's best coverage linebacker. Colton Jumper and Elliott Berry also could become factors in certain packages.

The only outside 'backer the Vols currently have in the class is Picou's high school teammate at Buford (Georgia) High School, Austin Smith. He's the kind of speedy, athletic linebacker who Tommy Thigpen loves to employ, and he'll find a home in Knoxville.

Quarte Sapp is another linebacker on UT's radar who has yet to make a decision.

In the secondary, the Vols likely will be enjoying their final season with star cornerback Cameron Sutton. Even though he hasn't been showered with hardware, a player as talented as him won't slip past the NFL.

He's a dynamic talent at cornerback, and with a year to add weight, Emmanuel Moseley has an exciting future opposite him as well. Malik Foreman and Rashaan Gaulden are another couple of nice-looking prospects who've yet to see extended action.

Michael Williams is a bit of a wild card. He started most of this season until Moseley usurped him. Then, he was named in the sexual assault investigation along with A.J. Johnson that is still ongoing. If he returns, he'll be in the mix as well.

The Vols have a pair of strong cornerback prospects coming in with Darrell Miller and Micah Abernathy, but they're looking for more. JUCO prospect Justin Miller and Nashville corner Ugo Amadi are major needs, and UT would take either or both of them down the stretch. A class that includes those two would be ideal.

A trio of safeties who started games for UT (Brian Randolph, LaDarrell McNeil and Todd Kelly Jr.) all return, so the Vols should be strong on the back level. Evan Berry, Devaun Swafford and incoming freshman Stephen Griffin will all provide depth for the future.

Special Teams

RICHARD SHIRO/Associated Press

One thing Tennessee has to do in 2015 is get Sutton away from punt return duties. He's too valuable to put back there every time.

Ralph David Abernathy could be a huge benefit for the Vols on special teams, and if they could somehow land Amadi, he's dynamic enough to make an immediate impact returning kicks, too. Evan Berry showed some major promise as a kick returner, and his future there is bright as well.

Tennessee couldn't be facing two more different situations when it comes to its kicking and punting games.

At kicker, UT is set for the next three years with Aaron Medley, who was almost automatic inside of 40 yards and kicked everything high and long, even when he missed. He wound up the regular season 19-of-25 in field goals and made all but one of his 37 extra-point attempts. 

The Vols have an enviable situation at that position for the near future.

At punter, they'll lose senior Matt Darr, who resurrected his career and had a brilliant final season in 2014. 

Unless Medley can steal that job as well (a la Michael Palardy holding all kicking duties in 2013), the punting responsibilities look as if they'll come down to a battle between walk-on Trevor Daniel, invited walk-on and redshirt freshman Troy Waites and Tommy Townsend, who is the nation's fifth-ranked punter.

Townsend has a big leg, and he was UT's top punting target this offseason. Waites was a left-footer UT brought in for depth last season who could develop into a key player.

Tennessee has plenty of talent all over the football field to make some serious noise next year. The roster isn't perfect (not everybody can be Alabama, after all) but there are enough solid players mixed with some well-placed spectacular ones that the Vols appear poised to make an extended run.

These seasons of battling to get to .500 may be close to over on Rocky Top.

All stats gathered from CFBStats.com, unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports Composite ranking, unless otherwise noted.

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