Tennessee Football: 8 Volunteers Who Could Surprise People This Spring

Every year, football teams have players emerge during spring practice who become major contributors, and the Tennessee Volunteers are no exception.

Last April, quarterback Joshua Dobbs had a breakout performance in the Orange and White Game, completing six of his nine passes for 199 yards to go along with a 59-yard touchdown run.

Despite being buried on the depth chart at the time, it wound up being a harbinger of things to come for Dobbs.

Freshman cornerback Emmanuel Moseley impressed everybody by winning a starting position despite being inexperienced and painfully skinny. Though he lost the job in the fall, he eventually won it back and finished the 2014 season as a first-teamer with a bright future.

They were big surprises for the Volunteers, and there will again be players who carve key roles this year.

From freshman mid-term enrollees to upperclassmen who've been buried on the depth chart, UT will find some playmakers this spring in unexpected places.

Let's take a look at some guys who could surprise this spring.

Gavin Bryant, Redshirt Freshman Middle Linebacker

Credit: 247Sports

The battle to be Tennessee's next middle linebacker will begin in earnest this spring. In fact, the first shots already had been fired last season with starts by Jakob Johnson and Kenny Bynum in the absence of A.J. Johnson.

Both of those guys will be in the mix this spring, along with redshirt freshman Dillon Bates. When he returns from injury, true freshman Darrin Kirkland Jr. is talented enough to emerge as a factor as well.

But a player a lot of folks are forgetting is redshirt freshman Gavin Bryant. The 6'1", 236-pound defender from Jackson, Alabama, is talented, and his high school film shows a huge hitter.

He had some grade issues throughout the recruiting process that kept him from being a heavily recruited player, but he wound up as the 10th-ranked inside linebacker and a 4-star prospect.

Barton Simmons, 247Sports' director of scouting, told this to GoVols247's Ryan Callahan last year after national signing day:

"

I think if Gavin Bryant was a no-doubt grades guy throughout the process, I think he's a guy we're talking about in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and getting all kinds of the hype that a lot of these guys get… But turn on his film, and that dude is a headhunter. He's a heat-seeking missile. I love the way he plays, and he's a guy that his name hasn't been brought up to the same level that the majority of this class has.

"

Much like was the case in high school, Bryant again isn't being discussed. But after a year in the weight room, he has the ability to turn some heads. Don't sleep on him in that middle linebacker race.

Andrew Butcher, Freshman Defensive End

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It's easy for players to get lost in the shuffle with the exceptional defensive line class Tennessee is bringing in this year.

Somebody who is perhaps being somewhat overlooked is 6'2", 245-pound defensive end Andrew Butcher. The Alpharetta, Georgia, native is an Under Armour All-American who is already on campus and going through an offseason program.

With Kyle Phillips and Derek Barnett missing the spring with injuries, Butcher will get a lot of reps at strong-side defensive end.

While that's going to be a difficult position to break through for playing time once the season starts, Butcher is a strong, steady player who could earn some meaningful snaps.

The Vols are in need of a defined rotation at defensive end to keep players fresh, and Butcher is a young guy who can be a force against the run.

A season ago, he was ranked in the 247Sports composite as the nation's 17th-rated strong-side defensive end. His dad played at Clemson, so college football is in his bloodlines, and he looks to be an end in the mold of former Vols Will Overstreet and Constantin Ritzmann.

If he can provide that kind of impact, it'll be huge for the Vols. Even if he doesn't break through right away, this spring should give UT a glimpse of the kind of player Butcher will be.

Alex Ellis, Senior Tight End

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This past holiday season, Tennessee earned positive headlines when the athletic department released a video of head coach Butch Jones rewarding senior walk-on Alex Ellis with a scholarship.

Now, it's time for the Del Mar, Delaware, player to return the favor with a big final season.

Last year, he played in all 12 games and was a solid contributor at tight end and on special teams, catching six passes for 115 yards and a 31-yard score on a fake field goal against Missouri.

With Daniel Helm and Brendan Downs gone from the program and UT tight ends Neiko Creamer and Kyle Oliver young and inexperienced, look for Ellis to get some major reps along with sophomore starter Ethan Wolf.

Ellis is a former wide receiver walk-on who has plenty of talent and athleticism. But he hasn't been able to fully realize his potential at Tennessee because he's battled diabetes. With that in order and other nagging injuries subsided, he had a good junior season.

Now, he's battling some other injuries and could be limited this spring. If he's on the field, he'll be a force who'll turn plenty of heads.

It isn't surprising that he could be a contributor as a senior, but the quality of those contributions could be a big boost. Ellis is capable of being a force in the passing game as well as in blocking.

This is going to be a big season for Ellis.

Rashaan Gaulden, Sophomore Defensive Back

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There's only one word to describe Rashaan Gaulden's senior season at Independence High School: incredible.

The playmaker was a tackling machine, racking up 207 in a defensive backfield that included former Tennessee teammate Vic Wharton.

As a freshman at UT, the 6'1", 173-pound cornerback from Spring Hill, Tennessee, was a force on special teams, registering five of his seven tackles. He also played sparingly on defense.

Now with Justin Coleman gone to try his hand at the NFL, it's going to be interesting to see if Gaulden can become a factor in the wide-open race to be Tennessee's next nickelback.

Is he a safety? Is he a cornerback? That was the question surrounding Gaulden when he arrived on campus. Though he wasn't the biggest or the strongest first-year player, he was too talented to keep off the field, and a season in the weight room should benefit him.

He'll get his first opportunity to get onto the field by battling Malik Foreman and others to play nickel. If he doesn't stick there, he could be in line for reps at safety once Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil graduate after this season.

One thing's for certain: Gaulden has a bright future. This spring may show everybody what position he'll play throughout his Vols career. If it's nickel, he may just find himself starting this fall.

Stephen Griffin, Freshman Safety

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Safety is among the few positions where there really isn't a lot of immediate playing time to be won right away this spring.

With Brian Randolph, LaDarrell McNeil and Todd Kelly Jr. all strong returning forces on the back end of the defense, Tennessee appears to be in good hands for now.

However, that hasn't kept mid-term enrollee Stephen Griffin from generating an early buzz. The 6'2", 185-pound defender was lightly regarded at South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he was the nation's 53rd-ranked safety.

But he still drew interest from Clemson and North Carolina, whom the Vols had to fight off after getting a commitment from him way back in March 2014. Once he signed with UT and arrived on campus, Griffin has impressed.

"Stephen Griffin came in looking great from a size perspective, and now his workouts are turning some heads as well," GoVols247's Wes Rucker told Bleacher Report. "Tennessee has plenty of quality safeties, and now it looks like the Vols might have another."

There will be tons of playing time available in 2016, and UT will be scouring the nation looking for safeties in this upcoming recruiting class. But if Griffin's workouts translate on the field, the need at the position could diminish significantly.

Brett Kendrick, Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Tackle

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For all the problems Tennessee had finding quality offensive tackles last season, redshirt freshman Brett Kendrick gave the Vols a reason to feel better about the future.

After struggling early in the season against Arkansas State after Jacob Gilliam went down with a knee injury, Kendrick was reinserted later in the year and showed significant improvement.

Now, with Gilliam gone, playing time is once again available. The Vols have Kyler Kerbyson, Dontavius Blair and Coleman Thomas on the roster who can play on the line's exterior. Mid-term enrollees Jack Jones and Chance Hall, as well as elite in-state lineman Drew Richmond, will arrive this fall.

So, for Kendrick—a 6'6", 316-pound rising redshirt sophomore—the time to turn heads is now.

With that size, the former Christian Academy of Knoxville standout has the build and the athleticism to play the position in a zone-blocking scheme. He also has long enough arms to do well. It's just all a matter of putting it together.

With new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord having a wealth of experience coaching offensive linemen, it's going to be fun to see who responds well to him.

Kendrick will get a fresh look this spring, and if he can break through, it'll really benefit the Vols right now as well as in the future.

Dimarya Mixon, Sophomore Defensive Lineman

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Dimarya Mixon doesn't really look like he weighs 282 pounds. At 6'3", with those long arms and that huge frame, he looks more like a defensive end than a tackle.

But watching him fill out that frame before this fall is going to be exciting to watch. With Danny O'Brien injured for the spring and Kahlil McKenzie not arriving until summer, this is a golden opportunity for the sophomore from West Mesquite (Texas) High School to make some noise on the depth chart.

A season ago, Mixon played out of sheer necessity. He participated in 12 games as a true freshman, backing up senior Jordan Williams and finishing with four tackles.

Still, he really didn't ever make his presence felt and wasn't as consistent as he needed to be in order to give a breather to Williams or O'Brien. Now, with the former graduated, Mixon will have the chance to impress the coaches.

Is he going to be a strong presence for Tennessee on that line, or is he just keeping a spot warm for McKenzie, the 5-star sixth-rated overall player in the 2015 recruiting class?

We'll find out more this spring.

Chris Weatherd, Senior Defensive End

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Perhaps no other upperclassman on Tennessee's roster has as much untapped potential as senior outside linebacker Chris Weatherd.

A season ago, the 6'4", 225-pound JUCO transfer didn't arrive on campus until a month before the season started after struggling to get his grades in order.

Once he did, he was so talented UT couldn't afford to keep him off the field, though it was obvious that he didn't know much of the defense. Instead, the Vols and defensive coordinator John Jancek devised a small package of plays to get Weatherd after the quarterback.

He wound up playing in all 13 games, recording 12 tackles, including three tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks.

Now, with a season to learn the offense and another year in the weight room, Weatherd could turn into something special. The Texan has NFL potential, and he looks like he could emerge as one of those exceptional hybrid pass-rushers in the mold of Oklahoma's Eric Striker.

But first, Weatherd needs to stay on the football field for more than just a couple of plays at a time. If he does, he'll give the Vols yet another stud to get after the quarterback along with Derek Barnett, Curt Maggitt and others.

Weatherd could be a big X-factor for the Vols.

All recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings unless otherwise noted. All quotes obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted.

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