Tennessee Football: Volunteers' 2015 Offseason Checklist

The steady trickle of Tennessee football-related information coming out of Knoxville—and everywhere else, for that matter—has slowed to a stop in time for the warm weather months.

It's that time of year when you start counting down the days until SEC media days usher in the news again.

Unless you're really into recruiting or have been following the Everett Golson sweepstakes, you're itching for information that's difficult to come by. But football never stops.

That's the case in Knoxville, as a few of the players stuck around in Knoxville for mini-term and others are dispersed throughout the nation for a bit before mandatory workouts bring them back. Quarterback Joshua Dobbs, for instance, is serving a monthlong internship in Florida.

Once he returns, he'll have several offseason goals to reach before practice begins. The Vols have several of their own to live up to the massive expectations placed on the program entering the 2015 season.

Coach Butch Jones told the Chattanooga Times Free Press' Patrick Brown last week that rather than puff out their chests at all the hype, the Vols have gotten to work:

"

We do have a lot of positive momentum, and I think our players have fed off that. They've been extremely focused. Their capacity for work, their mental effort, their mental intensity, I thought they brought it each and every day.

That's what you want. You want the expectations, because this is a very proud football program. But we also understand we have a long, long ways to go in the development of our program.

"

So, to kick off a time of year when baseball and beaches are the "in" things, let's take a look at the Vols' offseason checklist.

Get Healthy

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Tennessee basically played without nearly one-fifth of its team this spring, as injuries kept 16 Vols out of the annual Orange and White Game.

It wasn't just a host of no-names, either. The injury list was a "who's who" among UT players expected to be key contributors in 2015.

Star defensive ends Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt, receiver Marquez North, starting defensive tackle Danny O'Brien and nickelback Rashaan Gaulden were among those who missed time. Highly touted signees who figured to play immediate roles, such as Kyle Phillips and Darrin Kirkland Jr., missed drills, too.

None of the players who missed time are expected to be out for any action once practice begins in August. That's huge for a UT team that hasn't yet stockpiled enough talent to absorb injury hits.

While coach Butch Jones admitted the losses could set UT back developmentally, they did allow for the Vols to build depth by getting others key reps.

That could be big once the pads go on, but only if everybody comes back at 100 percent. Any lingering, nagging ailments could hinder the Vols, who play a difficult schedule devoid of many breaks.

If everybody who was hurt returns to full strength this fall, the Vols will look totally different on the defensive line, at receiver and in the secondary. The improvements will be needed for them to make an SEC East run.

Work out Wide Receiver Issues

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With all the talent Tennessee has at the receiver position, consistent underachievement is unacceptable.

The caveat in that comment is that injuries have undoubtedly taken their toll on the unit throughout last season and again this spring. But the Vols have plenty of skillful athletes on the depth chart to pick up where the injured players left off.

That hasn't happened. At all.

Now, with the Vols having a junior quarterback in Joshua Dobbs who has the talent to distribute the ball and a couple of able running backs to churn out yards on the ground, the receiving corps went from team strength to concerning question.

GoVols247's Wes Rucker assessed the situation following spring drills:

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For all the recruiting stars and NFL potential in this group, the fact is that various issues—including and especially a disproportionately large number of injuries—have combined to keep this group falling short of expectations the past couple of years. And there's an old saying that someone who won't do something is no better than someone who can't do something. That probably sounds harsh, and that's not the intent, in truth. But the fact is this group has to put up or shut up at some point. There's enough talent in this group to be special.

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Indeed, junior Marquez North was supposed to be shredding secondaries by now. Classmate Jason Croom is bigger than everybody else and should be dominating cornerbacks with his 6'5", 235-pound frame.

Sophomore Josh Smith shows immense promise, and Josh Malone was one of the most sought-after receivers in the country coming out of high school.

If Von Pearson comes back from a suspension and incoming freshman Preston Williams is healthy following a senior-season injury, the Vols will have even more talent than a season ago.

Unlike the middle linebacker battle which must be waged on the field between several players, the receivers need to improve through individual workouts and mentally this offseason. They need to get healthy, too. Those are all things that can and should be honed in on during the offseason.

Eventually, potential must morph into production.

Develop Running Back Depth

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There are no concerns with Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara.

The one-two running back punch that Tennessee will throw at opponents this fall has a chance to be special.

The huge Hurd (6'3", 230 lbs) shows the ability to bruise for the tough yards and sprint around defenders on the edge. Meanwhile, the twitchy Kamara has the potential to cut once and be gone, and he isn't shy to barrel into the line, either.

Beyond that, though, concerns abound.

There's a reason why coach Butch Jones is focused on the position in the 2016 recruiting cycle. There simply aren't enough numbers. During the spring, the offense really suffered during the spells when Kamara was dinged up because Hurd was limited.

Things ease a bit this summer as Cincinnati senior transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV is expected to transfer to Knoxville to play his final season with his brother, incoming signee Micah, as well as the coach who recruited him to play for the Bearcats.

RDAIV will help on special teams, and he is a lightning-quick change-of-pace back who can be dynamic in space.

Incoming freshman John Kelly's importance isn't discussed enough, either. Of all the players in UT's class, Kelly has one of the clearest paths to immediate playing time. If the 5'10", 203-pound runner thrives this fall, he'll have the opportunity to earn meaningful reps.

Then there's the virtually out-of-the-blue potential of Joseph Young, a runner who apparently committed to Tennessee late in the cycle but didn't sign with the Vols because of some academic hurdles that haven't been cleared yet.

According to RockyTopInsider.com's Daniel Lewis, other teams such as Ohio, Virginia, Appalachian State, Charleston Southern and Furman looked at Young, who had been committed to Charlotte. If he gets his grades in order, the 6'0", 190-pound prospect could be added to UT's stable, too.

All these players are important at a position where UT can't afford any injuries. It's essential that the coaching staff identifies dependable runners.

Get Kahlil Ready

Credit: 247Sports

The most highly anticipated incoming recruit is 5-star defensive tackle Kahlil McKenzie, a 6'3", 354-pound mauler who made a habit on the camp circuit of shedding the nation's top offensive linemen like cornstalks.

Expectations are immense—perhaps unrealistic.

But that's what happens when you've got a highly regarded legacy who bleeds orange and white and bolsters the school's best recruiting class in a decade.

The emergence of fellow freshman Shy Tuttle and redshirt junior Kendal Vickers this spring made McKenzie's rapid development a little less urgent, but let's face it: The Vols need his potential dominance.

It's so tough to come in at any position and dominate, and defensive tackle may just be one of the toughest. After sitting out his senior season of high school due to California transfer rules, McKenzie needs to shed a few pounds and get back into football-playing shape.

He already has lost some weight, but that will likely be escalated once he arrives on campus and has daily access to a team of personal trainers.

Defensive line coach Steve Stripling spoke with RockyTopInsider.com's Daniel Lewis about some things that most every young lineman must overcome:

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I think Kahlil is going to go through the same growing pains that Shy is now. I just talked to [former Vol and NFL defensive tackle] John Henderson and said, "What's the key?"

You know what he said? "Leverage." So if your big guys can learn to play with leverage, it's a different game. So Shy's struggling with that, I'm sure Kahlil is going to struggle with that. So, getting those big guys down [low], but the positive aspect is that both of those big guys are extremely big and strong, so they'll have a lot of advantages over the other players.

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McKenzie is going to be a huge part of UT's defense, most likely this season. The Vols must get him ready for the rigors of the SEC. If they do, he may quickly become a centerpiece.

Polish the Playbook

Credit: 247Sports

There are two traits that make a quality offensive coordinator: The gift to teach and relate to college kids, and the ability to get into a rhythm of calling plays within the framework of a game.

After this spring, new UT coordinator Mike DeBord's teaching prowess should not be denied. He's a dynamic personality who commands a room and has been a major upgrade from Mike Bajakian in many different areas.

His tutelage of quarterback Joshua Dobbs resulted in a much more mechanically polished signal-caller, and, if anything, the offense was faster this spring with DeBord at the helm.

That's a characteristic head coach Butch Jones coveted from the beginning of his search.

But DeBord's play-calling hasn't yet been tested. He's rusty, having been out of the game for a couple of years, and hasn't called plays since he was at Michigan in 2007. So, yeah, it's fair to question whether he will excel in that area right away.

That's why this summer is crucial for DeBord. He saw the tools he has to work with this spring, and he knows his team's strengths and weaknesses.

Now come the months when he and passing game coordinator Zach Azzanni need to spend countless hours in dark rooms in front of flickering game tape dissecting upcoming opponents and their own practice clips. They need to sharpen the existing playbook and start developing a game plan.

With all the weapons UT has offensively, it has to amount to execution. While the players are gone, DeBord must hone his craft.

It's possible the Vols could take a large offensive leap forward in 2015, and that process continues throughout the summer months.

Quotes and observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.

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