Tennessee Football: Projecting Volunteers' Post-Spring Two-Deep Depth Chart

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — One major accomplishment for the Tennessee Volunteers after breaking spring is they have a better idea of some players who are going to star and others who are going to help.

That's really what spring is for, right?

Head coach Butch Jones sat in front of the media Saturday afternoon, having just finished his third spring on Rocky Top. Though he wasn't pleased with everything he saw, he did witness a team that absorbed the blow of losing 13 players to injury for spring drills that was still able to put on a show in Neyland Stadium.

He saw a bunch of talent (albeit short on experience) even with those players who were missing in action. When asked how big the difference is now in Knoxville versus when he exited his first spring, he didn't sugarcoat the answer.

​"It's like night and day," Jones said. "It's completely different. Again, the more you win, the more that's at stake. We have a very high standard and expectation here. We are still nowhere close to where we need to be. I am going to challenge our second- and third-string individuals. They need to step up. We have to have depth.

"We had individuals who didn't have the spring that we had anticipated. We have to figure out why that happened. They have to become motivated, and it starts with yourself. There are other individuals who exceeded our expectations. We have to continue to have everyone accountable for their own self-determination."

With 15 practices in the rearview mirror, several players have crept their way into the two-deep rotation. So, let's take an updated look at how that depth chart may look in the first game, even if it may look totally different right now.

Quarterbacks

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Quarterback: Joshua Dobbs/Quinten Dormady

For the first time in coach Butch Jones' tenure, there's no doubt who the starting quarterback will be (barring injury) when the season starts.

This is Dobbs' job, and the Vols are his team. That means the onus is on the 6'3", 212-pound junior to improve not only on the field but also in every aspect that it takes to be what Jones calls a "CEO quarterback."

After the spring, the head coach is thrilled with the direction Dobbs is heading. It certainly benefits the offense to know who is going to be the man.

"You can't put a price tag on experience," Jones said. "Experience is everything, especially in this conference. Understanding the day-to-day, week-to-week riggers of playing in the SEC. Where my sleepless nights are is, 'Who's gonna be No. 2, and who's gonna be No. 3?' In the world of college football you need more than one quarterback on your roster."

Right now, it looks like Dormady is the future. The midterm freshman can make all the throws, and while he isn't ready for game action yet, he is much further along than fellow early enrollee Jauan Jennings. Sheriron Jones gets to Knoxville this summer, but Dormady has the makeup to be the next guy in line.

Running Backs

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Running Back: Jalen Hurd/Alvin Kamara

Being limited this spring didn't hurt Hurd, who had just three no-contact carries in Saturday's Orange and White Game and needed just that many to show he's a couple of steps quicker than last year.

Not only is he fast, but he's huge (6'3", 230 lbs) too. This could be a breakout year for the sophomore from Hendersonville, Tennessee, if the offensive line is as deep and improved as it can be. 

But what is going to help Hurd more than anything this year is he won't have to shoulder the load by himself, much the way he did at times last year when Marlin Lane's production disappeared for large swaths of the season.

The Vols have now have Kamara—a former Alabama player who paid his dues at JUCO last year after transferring—who proved this spring that he was everything advertised.

Kamara spoke Saturday about this being the fastest offense in which he's ever played, and he's the perfect fit for the scheme.

Now that he's gone through a spring, he got a lot of the things out of the way.

"The smaller things, techniques, just footwork, ball security, my eyes as far as reading coverages and defenses. Just the small things," Kamara said when asked about his improvements this spring. "All the small things add up to the big things. I was really focusing on that this spring."

Freshman John Kelly and transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV will help UT, but this is going to be Hurd and Kamara's show.

Wide Receivers

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WR: Marquez North/Josh Malone

WR: Josh Smith/Jason Croom

WR (Slot): Pig Howard/Johnathon Johnson

At some point, all this talent Tennessee has on the perimeter is going to have to stop being full of potential and instead produce.

This spring, the injury-laden group struggled. Then, it was dealt another major blow when probable starter Von Pearson was suspended indefinitely after being named a suspect in an alleged rape investigation. 

The players who are left have to pick up the slack. They're talented enough.

North has the most potential of the group, and though he was limited this spring after recovering from season-ending surgery a season ago, he is still a candidate to have a monster year. Backing him up is Malone, who was a prospect most SEC programs wanted a year ago. He has to be more consistent than he was as a freshman.

At the other outside position, Smith showed what he could do early in 2014 before he too had season-ending surgery on his ankle. He wasn't 100 percent this spring, but he has played a lot of football, so the Vols believe he can be steady. Croom (6'5", 235 lbs) is a massive specimen who (broken record time) also missed spring.

Then there's Howard, who seemingly always finds a way to be the Vols' leading receiver. Entering his senior year, he is a player Joshua Dobbs can consistently rely on to get open. Johnson enjoyed a nice spring game, and he and Dobbs have a strong rapport, so it could be a strong senior year for him too.

Star prospect Preston Williams and in-state athlete Vincent Perry also could help. The group still has plenty of talent. Now, it just has to live up to it.

Tight Ends

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Tight End: Ethan Wolf/Alex Ellis

Wolf is a towering, imposing figure who has the ability to be Tennessee's most complete tight end prospect since his idol, Jason Witten.

The 6'5", 240-pound Ohio native enjoyed spurts of success as a freshman when he was as integral a part of UT's offense as anybody not named Joshua Dobbs or Jalen Hurd. Then at other times, he completely disappeared.

He finished the season with 23 catches for 212 yards. But that wasn't good enough for him or coach Butch Jones, who knows the kind of player Wolf could be.

"I thought Ethan made strides in blocking game, his body position," Jones said of the spring. "Again, what Ethan has to concentrate on is his overall high level of consistency. All-conference players perform at very high levels in terms of catching the football, finishing the blocks. The want to is there, the competitive character is there, the character is there and he is as big of a student of the game as we have.

"Ethan will be fine. He is a great kid, and he is one of those individuals that this summer—from the weight room to conditioning levels—he will take the next step."

Former walk-on Ellis was one of the many Vols who missed spring drills, but he is an athletic weapon who could be a solid backup in his senior season. He's a better-than-average blocker and a solid target whom UT plays a lot.

Redshirt sophomore A.J. Branisel, redshirt freshman Neiko Creamer and true freshman Kyle Oliver all could help, but Wolf and Ellis are the top two.

Offensive Line

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LT: Kyler Kerbyson, Dontavius Blair

LG: Marcus Jackson, Chance Hall

C: Mack Crowder, Coleman Thomas

RG: Jashon Robertson, Austin Sanders

RT: Brett Kendrick, Drew Richmond

Tennessee coaches and fans will have to wait until this fall to feel better about the improvement of the Vols offensive line.

There were too many injuries on UT's defensive line to get a real feel for how much improved the offensive line was.

Still, it was a positive spring for a unit that was quite simply embarrassed a season ago when it finished 122nd in the nation with 43 sacks allowed while rushing for just 146.38 yards per game. That number was good (bad?) enough for 92nd nationally.

At the all-important tackle spots, Kerbyson nailed down his spot this spring, while Kendrick seized his. Talented prospect Drew Richmond comes onto the scene this summer, and Blair and Jack Jones could factor in as well.

The guards could be strong if Jackson rebounds from a subpar junior season. Robertson was already the Vols' top offensive lineman, and he was named most improved offensive player this spring.

Hall is a strong and talented freshman who possibly moved ahead of Dylan Wiesman into the two-deep. If he hasn't already, he may soon. He's going to be a great player, and he can play guard or tackle.

Sanders likely will start before his career is over.

At center, it's difficult to see anybody unseating Crowder just because of his leadership and the fact that he's a fifth-year senior. But Thomas is the center of the future, and after missing part of the spring, he didn't really get a full shot at it. He should push Crowder this fall.

The Vols have plenty of talent in the trenches. If they make as much improvement between now and the fall as they did since last season, the unit could be much better than it was a season ago.

Defensive Line

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DE: Derek Barnett/Kyle Phillips

DT: Danny O'Brien/Kendal Vickers

DT: Kahlil McKenzie/Shy Tuttle

DE: Curt Maggitt/LaTroy Lewis

A season ago, the interior of Tennessee's defensive line was thin, both literally and figuratively. 

With an injection of some serious talent thanks to a star-studded recruiting class, defensive tackle has a chance to join the ends as a major team strength for the Vols.

Already, Tuttle showed out as a midterm enrollee, earning a starting spot exiting the spring. The question is whether he will be able to hold onto it when former 5-star McKenzie gets to town in June. Even after recently dropping some weight, McKenzie is still more than 340 pounds, and Tuttle's 310 gives the Vols plenty of beef.

At the other tackle spot, O'Brien should improve after a stellar sophomore season, despite missing all of spring with an undisclosed injury. If he falters for any reason, Vickers drew high praise from the coaching staff and has the potential to be a good prospect in his third year in the program.

Senior Owen Williams is the strongest player on the team, and incoming freshman Quay Picou should carve out a niche role down the road.

There's no denying Tennessee's prowess on the edges. The return of Maggitt and Barnett gives the Vols the nation's top returning pass-rushing duo. Behind them, star prospect Phillips (who was a 5-star on some services) should be too talented to keep off the field.

Lewis, senior Chris Weatherd, junior Corey Vereen and sophomore Dimarya Mixon, as well as freshmen Andrew Butcher and Darrell Taylor, are also supremely talented. It's ridiculous how much talent the Vols have on the ends.

Linebackers

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OLB: Jalen Reeves-Maybin/Cortez McDowell

MLB: Dillon Bates/Darrin Kirkland Jr.

Considering the Vols' third linebacker would be Curt Maggitt when the team goes to a traditional 4-3 defensive alignment, we'll just concentrate on two spots on this level.

Much of the time, UT is going to play a bit of a hybrid 4-2-5 with a nickelback, much like many of the teams do against speedier offensive teams. Maggitt's versatility allows the Vols to match up well on the second level against run-heavy teams like Alabama and Georgia.

Reeves-Maybin is a potential all-conference candidate at outside linebacker. He's coming off a 100-tackle sophomore season that has him primed for a breakout campaign. If UT can't find a true middle linebacker, it's actually possible he can shift inside. Coach Butch Jones made it a point Saturday to note Reeves-Maybin's talent.

"He's invaluable," Jones said. "He knows all the linebackers spots. He brings an energy about himself. He has great instincts. That was evidenced by his play on special teams his freshman year. He's becoming one of our leaders on defense and one of our leaders on this football team."

The reason for any talk about JRM potentially moving inside is the lack of somebody stepping up on the interior this spring. Obviously, it would be a last resort for UT to do it, but it isn't out of the question.

Though junior Kenny Bynum is currently the starter at middle linebacker, every other Vol who is vying for the position is more talented. Bynum knows the defense, but UT needs to be more dynamic there, which is why Bates, Gavin Bryant or Kirkland needs to step up.

Kirkland is a wild card, a true freshman midterm enrollee who possesses sideline-to-sideline speed, is nearly 240 pounds and displays intelligence. He missed this spring after a weight-room injury, but Kirkland has the potential to battle for the job. 

Bates struggled to learn the position this spring, but the guess here is he makes a move in the fall.

Secondary

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CB: Cameron Sutton/Malik Foreman

CB: Emmanuel Moseley/Justin Martin

NB: Rashaan Gaulden/Sutton

S: Brian Randolph/Evan Berry

S: LaDarrell McNeil/Todd Kelly Jr.

Depth. Experience. Talent. Star power. Intelligence. 

The Vols secondary has it all, and other than defensive end, it's easily the most talented position on the field. The back end of the defense could allow for coordinator John Jancek to mix, match and be dynamic in his play-calling.

It all starts with Sutton, an underrated player who could surge into an All-SEC junior season after getting shut out of awards last year. He has elite ball skills and has emerged as a leader of the team. The junior cornerback snatched a botched double reverse in the spring game and raced 20 yards for a touchdown.

"Great players find a way to make plays," coach Butch Jones said. "Great players are always around the football. We always talk to our players, 'When you play with great effort, you get the bounces.' Cam has great instincts, he anticipates very well and he is a student of the game. We have not run that play in practice, either. To me, he read it, and it was great to see."

The other corner spot has the potential to be a nice battle between Moseley and incoming JUCO star Martin, who has elite ability and the size-and-speed combination to be an NFL defensive back. Moseley has good potential too and had a big end to the spring after missing time with mononucleosis.

Gaulden has locked down the nickelback spot, and it isn't close. If the Vols had to go to anybody else, right now it would be Sutton, unless one of the newcomers catches on quickly.

Finally, safety is an embarrassment of riches. McNeil and Randolph are senior starters who had strong seasons in 2014. Behind them is the sophomore duo of Kelly Jr.—who started three games a season ago—and Berry. The younger brother of Eric Berry busted out this spring and should get some meaningful defensive snaps.

"We all know he can run, so now it's being able to have the instincts, understanding offensive schemes, what they’re trying to approach and then just letting it go," Jones said earlier this spring. "I thought…he played downhill."

UT has tons of options, and this group could anchor the defense.

Specialists

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K: Aaron Medley/George Bullock

P: Nathan Renfro/Tommy Townsend

KR: Evan Berry/Micah Abernathy

PR: Cameron Sutton/Abernathy

Medley is a stud who has one of the strongest legs in the nation, and he has the ability to be an All-SEC kicker as a sophomore. On Saturday, he boomed a 55-yard field goal that would have been good for more than 60.

Once he gets more consistent, he's going to be elite and kick on the next level.

As far as punters go, although walk-on Trevor Daniels had some bright spots this spring, neither of the predicted two-deep players is currently in Knoxville. Renfro is a transfer from Maryland who has one year left to play, and he averaged 41 yards per punt as a senior for the Terrapins last year.

He'll help UT bridge the gap from Matt Darr to Townsend, a U.S. Army-All American who can develop for a year before being relied on to punt.

There's no doubt Berry will return kicks. He has dynamic ability, and he will be a weapon who can take one back for a touchdown at any time. Sutton is way too valuable to have on the field for punt returns, but the sure-handed defender played there last year, so it'll be interesting to see if that continues.

It's always a guess which newcomers could help in the return game, but Abernathy and Vincent Perry are a couple of guesses. It's possible UT will redshirt Abernathy, but if not, he has the most upside returning kicks among the freshmen. He'll probably get an extended look.

Quotes and observations obtained firsthand, unless otherwise noted. All statistics gathered from UTSports.com, unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.com.

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