Tennessee HC Butch Jones Building 1 of SEC's Best Defensive Fronts

The SEC is still a line-of-scrimmage conference, and what Tennessee head coach Butch Jones has built on Rocky Top is downright terrifying.

The third-year head coach of the Vols took over a program that was treated like a rental property that the owner wanted to let go into foreclosure under former head coach Derek Dooley, and he has built it up to a level where it will be picked by many—including yours truly—to contend for the SEC East title.

Jones' ability to recruit and develop talent along the defensive line has played a big role.

Tennessee entered last season with a laundry list of questions up front, but the emergence of 6'3", 268-pound Derek Barnett last season helped stabilize the front four and turn the Vols into a power in the trenches. Barnett notched 20.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 72 tackles, establishing himself as one of the best three-down defensive ends in the country from the moment he stepped on the field.

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It wasn't a one-man show, though.

Defensive end Corey Vereen, defensive tackle Danny O'Brien and defensive tackle Owen Williams are just a few of the returning Vols who helped post the SEC's second-best third-down defense (34.21 percent).

Seven of the eight players on the final two-deep roster of 2014 along the defensive line return in 2015, and injuries this spring were a blessing in disguise up front.

As Bleacher Report Tennessee Lead Writer Brad Shepard noted in March, the Vols injured or limited in the spring read more like a novel than an injury list. Barnett, O'Brien, Williams, redshirt freshman tackle Charles Mosley and early enrollee freshman defensive end Kyle Phillips are just a few of the big men up front who were banged up, which opened the door for more Vols to shine.

"We thought a lot of individuals stepped up and were very productive," Jones said on Wednesday's teleconference. "One was Kendal Vickers this offseason. We moved him to defensive tackle. So I think we had some individuals benefit from the accumulation of repetitions that was allowed them by the inordinate amount of individuals out."

Vickers, a 6'3", 288-pound redshirt sophomore, moved from defensive end late last season, and can provide quality depth at both defensive end spots.

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That's the goal, right? Championship teams need nine or 10 players who can rotate in the trenches, and the emergence of Vickers has the Vols at that level.

But wait, there's more.

Tennessee has benefited from a total of 25 early enrollees over the last two seasons, including 11 in the 2015 recruiting class. Of those who participated in spring practice, one who could make the biggest impact is 6'3", 315-pound Shy Tuttle.

The Midway, North Carolina native emerged as one of the stars of the spring because of his talent and the opportunity he received due to injury.

"When you look at Shy Tuttle playing in the interior, and he gained over 500 repetitions this spring," Jones said. "I thought late in spring, he really started to get it."

He certainly did, based on the Vine below from Rocky Top Insider:

Tuttle was joined outside by 6'2", 250-pound early enrollee Andrew Butcher outside. The Alpharetta, Georgia native got plenty of work this spring at defensive end thanks to the injuries and, like Tuttle, made a case for a rotational role as a true freshman.

"Andrew did some really good things," Jones said. "Obviously, he has to get much stronger and put some weight on to compete in this conference.

"[Tuttle and Butcher] benefited from the repetitions and benefited from early enrollment. It's a transition, particularly up front. From style of play to physicality to conditioning to the overall mental toughness and mental effort that it takes. They both did a very good job. I thought they finished very strong."

As if that wasn't enough, even more help is coming in the form of 6'3", 354-pound, 5-star defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie. The Concord, California native and Vol legacy is more than just a space-eater.

"When I talked to McKenzie, he said he felt like he was good enough to play anywhere on the defensive line, from a 0-technique to a 7-technique," Bleacher Report College Football Analyst Michael Felder said in January. "The kid isn't wrong. Seven might be a stretch, but he certainly is athletic enough to be a 5-technique in a 3-4 but then turn around and play 0 or 1 on the next snap.

"His speed is going to give centers and guards problems, and his strength will help him no matter where he lines up for the Volunteers."

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He's going to be a star, but Jones hopes that expectations can be tempered a little bit before the start of the season.

"These are still 17- and 18-year-old young adults who are coming in and playing college football for the first time, and playing in the SEC and playing a position that is a developmental position," he said. "These are still going to be true freshman with Shy and Kahlil coming in. We're very excited about [Kahlil] and looking forward to him coming in this June."

If championships are won up front, Tennessee is well on its way to winning the SEC East and playing for the SEC title in the Georgia Dome.

Jones recognized a problem, fixed it through recruiting and development, and that work could pay off as soon as this season.

Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All stats are courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted, and all recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports' composite rankings.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and college football video analyst for Bleacher Report as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on Sirius 93, XM 208.

Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.