Predicting Tennessee's Starters at Every Position for the 2015 Season

From a recruiting rankings standpoint, Tennessee's 2015 starting lineup is going to be more talented than most in the SEC; but the Volunteers are still going to be extremely young.

Two top-10 recruiting classes have left the Vols with a healthy roster and with depth. There are playmakers everywhere on both sides of the ball.

Even those who aren't proven have the potential to do big things, and there may even be a handful of superstars sprinkled in. This should be the year when all this strong recruiting UT head coach Butch Jones has done begins paying off.

The Vols may be a year away, but they're making national pundits everywhere—including ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.—take notice of all their talent and of the immense potential they possess.

Here's a position-by-position breakdown of UT's projected starters.

Offense

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Position	First-String	Second-String	Third-String
Quarterback	Joshua Dobbs, Jr.	Quinten Dormady, Fr.	Jauan Jennings, Fr.
Running Back	Jalen Hurd, So.	Alvin Kamara, RS So.	Ralph David Abernathy IV, Sr.
X Receiver	Marquez North, Jr.	Jason Croom, RS Jr.	Josh Malone, So.
Y Receiver	Von Pearson, Sr.	Josh Smith, RS So.	Preston Williams, Fr.
Z Receiver	Pig Howard, Sr.	Johnathon Johnson, Sr.	Vincent Perry, Fr.
Tight End	Ethan Wolf, So.	Alex Ellis, Sr.	Neiko Creamer, RS Fr.
Left Tackle	Dontavius Blair, RS Jr.	Drew Richmond, Fr.	Chance Hall, Fr.
Left Guard	Marcus Jackson, RS Sr.	Dylan Wiesman, Jr.	Charles Mosley RS Fr.
Center	Mack Crowder, RS Sr.	Coleman Thomas So.	Ray Raulerson RS Fr.
Right Guard	Jashon Robertson, So.	Austin Sanders, RS So.	Venzell Boulware, Fr.
Right Tackle	Kyler Kerbyson RS Sr.	Brett Kendrick, RS So.	Jack Jones, Fr.
Place Kicker	Aaron Medley, So.	George Bullock, RS Jr.	Ryan Ault, RS Jr.

Quarterback

There's no doubt whose team this is. Junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs proved in 2014 that he could perform well against elite competition (Alabama), dominate opponents (Kentucky, Iowa) and put the Vols on his shoulders in crucial moments (South Carolina, Vanderbilt). He can beat teams with his arm or legs.

Behind him is a trio of unknowns, true freshmen with different skill sets. They may have exclamation-point talent, but they're three major question marks on the field. With Nathan Peterman transferring to Pittsburgh, they're all UT has.

Running Back

At 6'3", 227 pounds, Jalen Hurd is a load who proved in 2014 that he belongs firmly in the conversation of the best first-year SEC running backs, along with Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette. With a little help, his encore season could be special.

Hurd welcomes JUCO transfer Alvin Kamara into the fold, a player who could explode onto the scene and give the Vols a home-run threat. Beyond those two, it's change-of-pace senior transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV and freshman John Kelly. There may not be a lot of depth, but there's plenty of talent.

Wide Receivers

This position was riddled with injuries last year, so you can never have too much depth. While there is a wealth of riches from the playmaker perspective, UT got thinner there this offseason with transfers of Vic Wharton and Ryan Jenkins as well as the graduation of Jacob Carter.

The Vols still have an abundance of talent, as evidenced by Josh Malone and Josh Smith not starting in this scenario. There are so many people who can make plays, and Dobbs will have various viable targets from which to choose.

Tight Ends

The departure of Daniel Helm was a blow, but Ethan Wolf is the real deal and should become a star with a year under his belt. Senior Alex Ellis was awarded a scholarship after playing a key role as a junior, and he could have a big final year in orange as well.

Beyond those two, it's a wild guess. A.J. Branisel redshirted and rehabbed a torn knee ligament last year. Neiko Creamer is an elite athlete who redshirted as a freshman. Incoming freshman Kyle Oliver is a big, athletic former receiver who could make some noise. There's talent but not a lot of reps.

Left Tackle

UT simply has to find a guy here who can at least be serviceable. If redshirt junior Dontavius Blair can do what he couldn't last year, which is prove he isn't a bust, it'll be an ideal scenario for the Vols.

Blair's development would enable them to keep star freshman Drew Richmond at the position most believe could be his future home and let him learn with some spot action. Richmond also could wind up a right tackle down the road. Chance Hall is another freshman the coaches love, but he's recovering from a torn Achilles, and it'll be interesting to see how he develops.

Left Guard

Senior Marcus Jackson has this spot nailed down. The 6'2", 306-pound guard likely has an NFL future, and he could have a big year if he's more consistent. Behind him, UT has plenty of interchangeable guards.

If Coleman Thomas can stick at center, Dylan Wiesman would be a nice super-utility guy to back him up and slide in the starting rotation in a year. If redshirt freshman Charles Mosley recovers from his broken leg, he is a massive body who could be an offensive line factor at guard or tackle.

Center

Mack Crowder didn't have the best junior season, but when he went out and was replaced by Wiesman, UT struggled. That's why he gets the nod to hold off everybody else in his senior season.

Wiesman didn't impress at center, so he should slide back to guard. If that happens, look for Coleman Thomas to move from tackle back to his original center position and be groomed to take over that spot next year.

Right Guard

Jashon Robertson was one of the biggest surprises of the '14 season, moving from defensive tackle to offensive guard in the preseason and becoming a starter within a week. Not only that, he was arguably the best lineman on UT's roster and appears to be a rising star.

Austin Sanders showed some flashes of being a nice player at times during his sophomore year, and freshmen Venzell Boulware and Zach Stewart are waiting in the wings. It would benefit both to be able to take redshirt years.

Right Tackle

The problem with Kyler Kerbyson is that his arms aren't really long enough to play tackle. The problem for the Vols is that he's really too talented not to keep in the starting five.

It's not out of the realm of possibility to envision Richmond starting here and Brett Kendrick moving to the left side. While Jack Jones will be a good player in the future, he could stand to redshirt. It's going to be very interesting to see if this is Richmond's spot right away or if Kerbyson remains the best option for now.

Place Kicker

This is Aaron Medley's job, and it likely will be until he graduates. He made 20-of-26 field goals and missed just one of his 20 tries inside of 39 yards. He was second in the league in field goals made, and he has a huge leg that just needs to develop more consistency.

Defense

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Position	First-String	Second-String	Third-String
Defensive End (SDE)	Derek Barnett, So.	Kyle Phillips, Fr.	Jakob Johnson, So.
Defensive Tackle	Danny O'Brien, RS Jr.	Kendall Vickers, RS So.	Shy Tuttle, Fr.
Defensive Tackle	Kahlil McKenzie, Fr.	Owen Williams, Sr.	Dimarya Mixon, So.
Defensive End (WDE)	Corey Vereen Jr.	LaTroy Lewis, RS Jr.	Andrew Butcher, Fr.
Outside Linebacker	Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Jr.	Cortez McDowell, So.	Quart'e Sapp, Fr.
Middle Linebacker	Dillon Bates, RS Fr.	Darrin Kirkland, Fr.	Kenny Bynum, RS Jr.
Outside Linebacker	Curt Maggitt, Sr.	Chris Weatherd, Sr.	Elliott Berry, So.
Cornerback	Cameron Sutton, Jr.	RaShaan Gaulden (NB), So.	Malik Foreman, Jr.
Cornerback	Justin Martin, So.	Emmanuel Moseley, So.	DJ Miller, Fr.
Safety	Brian Randolph, Sr.	Evan Berry, So.	Devaun Swafford, Jr.
Safety	LaDarrell McNeil, Sr.	Todd Kelly Jr., So.	Stephen Griffin, Fr.
Punter	Tommy Townsend, Fr.	Trevor Daniel, RS So.	Ryan Ault, RS Jr.

Defensive End

The Vols' 6'3", 267-pound quarterback-wrecker Derek Barnett didn't just have one of the greatest freshman seasons in UT history, but in college football history. He had 72 tackles, 10 sacks, 20.5 tackles for a loss and eight more quarterback hurries. He is elite and is UT's best returning player.

Behind him is 4-star stud Kyle Phillips, a high school friend of Barnett's who is a similar specimen who'll try to repeat the impact. Yes, he's good enough to crack the two-deep on a loaded line. Jakob Johnson hasn't moved from middle linebacker, but unless his lateral quickness improves drastically, he'll finish his career with his hand down.

Defensive Tackle

Danny O'Brien doesn't do anything great, but he does a lot of things well. He started 12 of UT's 13 games in 2014 and was a solid player as a sophomore.

Behind him, Kendal Vickers is mean and has shown flashes of breaking out. Maybe it's just a personal preference, but he could really be a player who comes out of nowhere this year. Once Shy Tuttle reshapes his body in the weight room, though, it'll be hard keeping him off the field.

Defensive Tackle

Nobody made as much noise (literally and figuratively) in this year's recruiting cycle as 6'3", 354-pound 5-star defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie. Is it asking a lot for a freshman to step in and start on the defensive interior? Sure, but if anybody can do it, it'll be K-Mac.

If he struggles to stay in shape early, however, Owen Williams is a senior who, if healthy, can do some nice things on the interior. Dimarya Mixon is a quality role player who could blossom into a playmaker on the interior, much like Vickers.

Defensive End

For this depth chart, we're going with a traditional 4-3, in which case Curt Maggitt would play on the second level. At least half the time, he'll most likely hold down this spot, much like he did as a junior.

With Maggitt lined up at linebacker, Corey Vereen and LaTroy Lewis made some big plays last year, and Vereen especially began building off his strong freshman campaign late in the season.

The Vols have a bunch of solid players at end, so it'll be interesting to see how this rotation shakes out. Andrew Butcher and Darrell Taylor are talented freshmen who could play roles as well.

Outside Linebacker

With his career-high tackles performance in the TaxSlayer Bowl, Jalen Reeves-Maybin wound up tied with A.J. Johnson for the most tackles on UT's team. He looks as if he's ready to become the next great Vols linebacker.

Behind him is a player who took much the same route as JRM in Cortez McDowell, a special teams demon his freshman year who converted from safety. Behind those guys, freshmen Quart'e Sapp and Austin Smith could work their way into the rotation, or redshirt.

Middle Linebacker

This spring, this will be one of the most vital battles on the entire field. Considering neither Johnson nor Kenny Bynum has displayed the lateral quickness necessary to be an every-down "Mike" in the SEC, the spot is up for grabs. 

They're in the mix, but the wild card here is outside linebacker Dillon Bates, who is up to around 230 pounds and has the versatility to slide inside. With Darrin Kirkland out for the spring with a torn pectoral muscle, Bates could get a look, and he should shine.

Kirkland and redshirt freshman Gavin Bryant could turn heads eventually, too.

Outside Linebacker

It may not be a certainty where Maggitt is going to play in his hybrid role, but he'll star wherever he is. He makes just as many plays standing up, too, so UT loses nothing having him here in the 4-3.

Entering his senior year, pass-rushing specialist Chris Weatherd could be poised for big things. With a better grasp on the offense, UT should be able to put him on the field and let his athleticism sparkle. If that happens, it just makes coordinator John Jancek's unit more diverse and electrifying because Weatherd has NFL skills.

Cornerback

Cameron Sutton is one of the most under-appreciated players in the entire SEC. Not only does he always take a back seat to Vernon Hargreaves III and Senquez Golson, but he wasn't even mentioned on many SEC second teams.

Regardless, he's a star who'll shine in the NFL some day, and he's good enough that this may be his final year. Behind "Sunday" Sutton is plenty of young talent, too.

When there's a nickel on the field, that race could come down to RaShaan Gaulden and Malik Foreman, but replacing Justin Coleman there won't be easy. He may have gotten burned a lot, but he had a really good tackling year at the position.

Cornerback

Another fun battle to watch during the preseason will be between rising-star sophomore Emmanuel Moseley—who started the second half of last season—and JUCO transfer sophomore athlete Justin Martin.

At 6'2" and with 4.3 speed, Martin may be one of the best incoming athletes in the entire conference. Though still plenty skinny now, another offseason in UT's weight room will have speed-burning Moseley big and fast, too. Those guys are the future of the position in Knoxville.

Safety

Tennessee secondary coach Willie Martinez has one of those rare schemes where it's nearly impossible to differentiate between the roles of the safeties. Therefore, there really isn't a "free" and a "strong" position. 

UT has three really good safeties, but the leader is senior Brian Randolph, a ball-hawking four-year starter who also has improved as a tackler the more he has bulked up and matured. 

Future star Todd Kelly Jr. will back up both spots, but Evan Berry (UT's kick returner and the younger brother of Eric) could emerge as a player who'll provide depth at that spot in the future. The Vols certainly need somebody to.

Safety

Nobody resurrected his career in Knoxville as much as LaDarrell McNeil. Now, entering his senior year, he's coming off a season where he had 76 tackles and two interceptions and struck fear into opponents' hearts with his big hits.

TK Jr. is going to be an elite talent who has a major role in a lot of different defensive sets, but it was hard keeping McNeil off the field last year. All three of the top safeties will play large roles, so it doesn't really matter who starts. Freshman Stephen Griffin has a bright future and may not have the luxury to redshirt.

Punter

Freshman U.S. Army All-American Tommy Townsend represents one of the biggest question marks on Tennessee's entire team and also is the signee with the biggest opportunity.

With Matt Darr graduated, this looks like Townsend's job to lose. He's the only scholarship punter on the team. Walk-on Trevor Daniel has a big leg and if he puts it together, he could contend for the job, too.

 All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered from CFBStats.com, unless otherwise noted. All stats and roster information gathered from UTSports.com, unless otherwise noted.

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