Tennessee Football: Players to Watch in the Orange and White Game

Despite an injury-riddled spring for the Tennessee football team, several Volunteers have earned high marks for their work over the course of the past month.

In some instances, the laundry list of hurt Vols allowed little-used players to receive valuable reps.

The coaching staff also gave extended looks to several newcomers who proved over the course of practices, workouts and meeting sessions they'll be able to help right away.

New arrivals such as Alvin Kamara and Shy Tuttle emerged to be depended upon for meaningful snaps when the season rolls around. Others who were already at UT like Evan Berry, Kendal Vickers and Rashaan Gaulden showed they could be primed to take the next step.

Upperclassmen who will play major roles are ready to be leaders as well.

So, while team depth reared its head as a potential hindrance in a 2015 season where a Vols' resurgence is expected, the quality of that depth may wind up much improved because of this spring.

With Saturday's Orange and White Game on the horizon, let's take a look at a few players you'll want to watch.

Shy Tuttle, Defensive Tackle

Credit: 247Sports

He's big and young, and he was definitely the defensive talk of the first half of spring drills.

But just because 6'3", now 309-pound Shy Tuttle hasn't been the buzz of the Vols' practices lately doesn't mean his production has tapered off.

He gained valuable reps while learning invaluable lessons over the course of a rigorous month of practice that resembles an NFL training camp.

Tennessee coach Butch Jones explained to GoVols247's Ryan Callahan just how important this spring was for Tuttle:

"

Thank goodness he's here and he's learning our style of play. He's learning how to fight through mental fatigue, physical fatigue, the mental toughness, the mental conditioning, that it's about technique— toughness through technique—the ability to sustain plays…

You can talk about it all you want, but you never know until it happens, so the 13 practices have been very, very big for him. He's very intelligent. He knows what he needs to do to continue to get better.

"

Not only has Tuttle lost weight and gotten in much better shape since arriving in Knoxville in time for spring, but he also now has been through a stretch of practices where he has been one of the key defensive tackles.

Injuries to returners Danny O'Brien and Owen Williams, which cost them most or all of spring, as well as last year's starter Jordan Williams being out of eligibility, have opened a huge door for Tuttle. He took advantage.

Now, he has a head start on highly regarded classmate Kahlil McKenzie, who won't arrive until this summer.

Tuttle proved to coaches over the past month that he is talented enough to be in the mix right away. That's difficult to do for any first-year player at defensive tackle.

It's going to be interesting to see how he performs in a game-like environment with people in the Neyland Stadium seats.

Alvin Kamara, Running Back

Credit: 247Sports

Perhaps the most valuable player for Tennessee's spring practice is sophomore running back Alvin Kamara.

The former Alabama and Hutchinson Community College player was considered a huge commitment for head coach Butch Jones when he signed with UT after being ranked as the nation's second-rated JUCO running back by the 247Sports composite ratings.

With incumbent starter Jalen Hurd limited this spring, Kamara proved he was a star.

At 5'11", 210 pounds, he has the size and speed to be an elite runner in the SEC. Jones noted that his attitude and the way he played most of the spring with some lingering, nagging injuries were just as impressive as his play.

Kamara can get the tough yards as well as run away from defenders. Though the Vols don't have a lot of depth at running back, Hurd and Kamara should be one of the top one-two punches in the nation.

During the few spring practices Kamara did sit out for injuries, the offense struggled without him. To go from not even being on the team to being one of the most reliable players on it shows what kind of value he has brought to the Vols.

Fans are going to be excited about this electrifying player, and Saturday is the first opportunity he will have in front of a crowd to showcase his ability to be one-and-done in Knoxville.

Evan Berry, Safety

Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

The spark Evan Berry provided in the return game in 2014 was crucial to Tennessee's special teams unit, as he averaged nearly 30 yards per kick return as a true freshman.

Like a lot of young players, Berry will try to parlay that special teams prowess into a positional unit in 2015. The younger brother of former UT All-American and Jim Thorpe Award winner Eric Berry took a huge step toward doing that this spring.

Even in a crowded pool of safeties—a position group that includes seniors Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil, sophomore Todd Kelly Jr. and freshman Stephen Griffin—Berry shone.

He may just carve a role for himself as a sophomore, but even if he doesn't play a ton this year, he has proved he has the ability to be a vital cog in coordinator John Jancek's defense for the next few seasons.

Everybody knew Berry was fast, but he began to play with swagger and confidence.

"He is playing with a high level of consistency right now," UT coach Butch Jones told the Knoxville News-Sentinel's Dustin Dopirak. "He is playing fast. He is making split-second decisions. He is breaking and driving on the football."

That's huge news for a UT team that must replace Randolph and McNeil a year from now. The Vols also need quality depth at every position, and with Berry and Kelly entrenched, the back end of the defense appears in good hands.

Some of Berry's best scrimmages this spring came in game-like settings. Maybe he can do the same thing in front of the fans.

Joshua Dobbs, Quarterback

Wade Payne/Associated Press

Joshua Dobbs already showed the college football world that his raw physical ability could put him in line to be a star.

But most people still think of the 6'3", 212-pound rising junior as an athlete who just happens to be a quarterback.

That isn't the case anymore.

With improved footwork and mechanics, Dobbs is physically and functionally better. There is more velocity on his throws, and he just looks like a quarterback in the brief moments from snap to throw.

Getting all the reps as a first-teamer allowed him to gain valuable experience as he heads what is now definitively his team.

In last year's Orange and White Game, despite fans hearing about his practice inconsistency throughout the course of drills, Dobbs stole the show. He finished 6-of-9 passing for 199 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 59 yards and another score.

Though nobody knew it then, it was a sign of things to come. Dobbs may have been mired on the depth chart to start the season, but he led UT on a bowl run and to an ultimate TaxSlayer Bowl victory over Iowa.

Now, everybody is eager to see his development, and it should be on display Saturday. Sure, Dobbs can take off when the play breaks down, and he has the ability to zip passes in the tightest windows.

But watch his footwork, his mechanics and his reads through his progressions. Also watch how he commands new coordinator Mike DeBord's offense.

The spring game could give Vols fans a glimpse of the season ahead.

Emmanuel Moseley, Cornerback

Wade Payne/Associated Press

Emmanuel Moseley has probably seen better springs.

There wasn't anything bad on the football field. It was off the field that really threw a couple of trying times in the path of the sophomore cornerback.

First, he and his family were involved in a March car accident in which Moseley walked away without being seriously injured. Then, he battled mononucleosis as spring started, which robbed him of valuable reps in an important spring for the incumbent starter.

With talented newcomers arriving this spring such as JUCO transfer Justin Martin and freshmen Darrell Miller and Micah Abernathy, Moseley needed to prove he was definitely the first-team corner opposite Cameron Sutton.

After returning to the practice field last week, he showed his skills weren't rusty, pulling in four interceptions in one practice, according to Chattanooga Times Free Press reporter Patrick Brown.

"Definitely not (surprised)," Sutton told Brown. "We expect that from him. We don't expect anything less from him. It's just that confidence level we have in him and he has in himself. He brings it each and every play out there on the field."

Moseley is blazing fast, and despite being painfully skinny a year ago, he beat out Malik Foreman for the starting job as a midterm freshman. Though Michael Williams started for much of the first half of the 2014 season, Moseley regained the job at the end of the year.

He is somewhat under-the-radar, but Moseley's skill set is elite. He has speed and length and isn't afraid to get physical with receivers. He has the potential to be a really good one, and if he can lock down the job and have a huge year, the Vols are going to be special in the defensive backfield.

Kyler Kerbyson, Left Tackle

Wade Payne/Associated Press

Without question, the biggest question mark on Tennessee's entire football team is the offensive line.

Last year, it was mostly a disaster. Though the unit improved once Josh Dobbs got behind center, it was still a taxing year as the Vols had to break in five new offensive linemen.

Four of those five are back, and there are also depth and talent all over the positional unit. Coaches praised their growth throughout spring practice, but UT was noticeably depleted along the defensive front too.

If the Vols are going to be improved there, one player who must step up and solidify the unit is senior tackle Kyler Kerbyson. Though he is probably best-suited for the interior of the line, the Knoxville Catholic product looks to be entrenched at the all-important left tackle spot.

Still, he has been pushed this spring. He also has pushed others, growing as a leader in his final season on Rocky Top.

If Kerbyson can't be the stable force on the left side this year, then there are options, unlike last year. Former JUCO transfer Dontavius Blair is improving, and freshman Jack Jones took a big first step this spring.

Highly rated freshman tackle Drew Richmond will arrive this summer too.

But Kerbyson has the potential to be a strong point of the UT offensive line. Though he won't be lining up against Derek Barnett or Curt Maggitt on Saturday, he's still worth watching to see how fundamentally sound he is and whether or not he can anchor the line.