Tennessee Football: 5 Toughest QBs Volunteers Will Face in 2015

There are plenty of hurdles the Tennessee football team must climb in 2015 to break through into the land of the contenders, but that doesn't mean the schedule is teeming with elite quarterbacks.

The Vols got a break in that regard.

Of the three projected top quarterbacks in the SEC, UT has one on its roster in Joshua Dobbs. Arguably the top two—Mississippi State's Dak Prescott and Auburn's Jeremy Johnson—wouldn't emerge on the Vols' slate unless they made it to the SEC Championship Game.

It's a chore finding five viable signal-callers who have anything but potential on their side. When a fifth-year senior from Bowling Green (Matt Johnson) nearly made the list, you know there's slim pickings.

But that doesn't mean the opposing quarterbacks aren't talented.

UT must rattle those guys with what is expected to be a fearsome pass rush in order to give the Vols a strong chance to win. From a matchup perspective, that seems to favor coach Butch Jones' team.

The offensive leaders UT must face in '15 range anywhere from the supremely physically gifted (Alabama's Jacob Coker) to the essential game manager (Arkansas' Brandon Allen).

Perhaps the two quarterbacks with the most potential on the Vols' schedule haven't even hammered down starting jobs. So, this was a practice in prediction.

Taking into account arm strength, talent, past performance and perspective ceilings, let's take a look at the top five quarterbacks Tennessee must face this season.

5. Jacob Coker, Alabama

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The Matt Barkley (failed) experiment aside, there's little dispute that Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin excels at developing quarterbacks.

Going back to his first tenure at Southern Cal, he coached some top-shelf signal-callers.

Every Tennessee fan at least has to give Kiffin credit for helping turn around maligned quarterback Jonathan Crompton during his one season as UT's coach in 2009. Last year, Alabama was expected to struggle under center, but Kiffin instead simplified things for fifth-year senior Blake Sims to shine.

The latest reclamation project is another fifth-year senior in talented former Florida State transfer Jacob Coker. In a four-man quarterback derby that remains "unsettled," according to Alabama coach Nick Saban, per CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd, Coker's the favorite.

The 6'5", 230-pound thrower has a bazooka for an arm, but he takes forever to throw it and doesn't always know where it's going. Though he's mechanically not yet where he needs to be, the talent makes him the favorite.

In the eyes of most fans, he was also that a season ago when Sims took the job and never looked back. So, nothing is a given.

If Coker can live up to the massive expectations he brought with him to Tuscaloosa, he'll be the top quarterback on this list. He's certainly the most gifted. With weapons such as ArDarius Stewart, Robert Foster and Calvin Ridley to throw to and another loaded backfield, huge numbers could be in his future.

But there are so many uncertainties right now that Coker has to be low on the list. If he can break out, Bama will contend for yet another national title.

4. Brandon Allen, Arkansas

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The strength of Arkansas' team can be found in the players Brandon Allen turns around and hands the ball off to, not Allen himself.

Indeed, Alex Collins and Jonathan Williams have a chance to be special in running coach Bret Bielema's "run, run and run again" offense to perfection.

But undervalued last season was Allen's ability to manage the offense. Sure, anybody can hand off the ball, but Allen was able to do on a lesser scale what Georgia's Hutson Mason did—keep mistakes at a minimum.

As a result, he put up respectable numbers, throwing for 2,285 yards, 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions in leading the Hogs to a 7-6 record. The most cringe-worthy number, however, was that Allen completed just 56 percent of his passes.

The rising senior from Fayetteville, Arkansas, needs to improve on that if the Razorbacks are going to live up to the hype as being a potential surprise pick in the West.

Bielema is confident that he will, telling ESPN.com's Sam Khan Jr. the following.

"Any time you have a fifth-year quarterback who's a multiyear starter, it's unprecedented what can happen," Bielema said. "We're so much better around him. It's our best offensive line, two tight ends, a couple wide receivers that I think are exceptional and two great running backs. The sky's the limit."

Allen is 6'3", 210 pounds, so he has good size and has gradually improved in his two seasons as a starter. Though he doesn't have elite arm strength, he throws the ball well enough to get by.

He didn't put up his biggest numbers toward the end of the season, but he closed 2014 without an interception in the season's final four games, which were played against LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri and Texas.

That's all he needs to do with such a dominant offensive line and running backs.

3. Maty Mauk, Missouri

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Tennessee knows all about Maty Mauk.

In two seasons against the Vols, the inconsistent rising junior saved some of his best performances for UT. In 2013, he obliterated defensive coordinator John Jancek's defense to the tune of 277 total yards and four touchdowns.

After struggling for much of the 2014 season, Mauk hit his stride against UT again, throwing for 230 yards and two touchdowns.

Both were Tigers wins.

This year, it's going to be difficult for Mauk to duplicate those performances.

Not only should the Vols have one of the best returning pass rushes in the nation with Derek Barnett and Curt Maggitt (along with others), but Mauk lost most of his receiving weapons from a year ago. Nate Brown should be the Tigers' top target, but beyond him, there are a bunch of unprovens.

That doesn't bode well for a quarterback who threw 13 interceptions and completed just 53.4 percent of his passes a season ago.

He is being taught to stay more in the pocket than he has in the past, so that experimentation proves that the Mizzou coaches think they haven't seen Mauk's best days yet.

He is very talented, but he also has experienced an erratic career after being thrown into the fray.

"There's a lot of inconsistency that can be improved," Mizzou associate head coach/quarterbacks coach Andy Hill told the Kansas City Star's Tod Palmer this spring. "I think it has been. ... He's showing what he should be showing for a guy who started last year."

As far as sheer dual-threat quarterbacks go, Mauk is one of the two best on UT's schedule, along with Kentucky's Patrick Towles. But he is far from a finished product.

Even so, he certainly seems to put things together against the Vols.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/college/sec/university-of-missouri/article17263676.html#storylink=cpy

2. Patrick Towles, Kentucky

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During the first part of the 2014 season, Patrick Towles was one of the toasts of the SEC, praised for his NFL-worthy skills in leading Kentucky to a 5-1 record to start the year.

Flash forward to this past spring, and the 6'5", 241-pound was battling for his job with former blue-chip quarterback Drew Barker.

That's a long fall for a signal-caller who eclipsed 390 yards three different times last season.

But the thought here is that coach Mark Stoops should stick with the talented redshirt junior in '15. Not only does he have the size to be an elite pro someday, he is also surprisingly mobile and extremely athletic.

Much like Jacob Coker and the only player ranked higher on this list than Towles, there's no question who's the most talented quarterback in the respective battles.

In this case, it's Towles, who had 20 combined touchdowns, completed almost 60 percent of his passes and amassed more than 3,000 total yards a season ago.

How can a team that has struggled to make a bowl game in recent years turn its back on that?

Maybe Barker is better, but it's a stretch to think that at this point. Towles also is more proven. That's why he's the safe bet to retain the job, and if he does, there is reason for the Vols and everybody else in the league to fear the potential of what he can do.

Georgia coach Mark Richt is certainly a believer, according to the Advocate Messenger's Larry Vaught.

"I am very impressed with his ability, poise and toughness," Richt said. "I think he is really a quality person and a guy you can certainly build a great system around and a guy that will only get better over time."

Towles has the ability to put the Wildcats on his shoulders and lead them to wins. The inconsistency that plagued him in 2014 is worrisome, but if he doesn't at least get the opportunity to rectify that early this season, it'll be a mistake.

1. Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

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Just a year ago, everybody was buzzing about Oklahoma quarterback Trevor Knight and the potential that he could lead the Sooners on a national championship run.

Coming off a barrage of Alabama in the 2014 Sugar Bowl, Knight was on the tips of everybody's tongues as being the next quarterback superstar and a potential Heisman Trophy contender.

Then, 2014 happened.

Injuries and inconsistency plagued his season, and that has opened the door for Baker Mayfield, who sat out last year after transferring from Texas Tech.

It's a risky pick to bank on Mayfield beating out Knight, and subsequently putting him this high on the list, but he was exceptional his freshman year in Lubbock. The 6'2", 209-pounder's first year wound up producing 2,315 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

He won Big 12 Conference Freshman Offensive Player of the Year for the 2013 season before transferring.

After an impressive spring, Mayfield should be the guy. He seems to be the perfect gunslinging quarterback to run the Air Raid offense of new coordinator Lincoln Riley. He definitely makes sense as being the man over dual-threat Knight.

Several media members echoed that sentiment, including the Tulsa World's John E. Hoover.

"Save the drama," Hoover wrote. "Hold on to the mystery. Keep the secret for another day. Or another position. Oklahoma hasn't announced it yet, and probably won't until the fall, but Baker Mayfield is the Sooners' next starting quarterback."

Those are bold words, and nothing has been set in stone yet. But Mayfield has the talent, and after bolting Lubbock for the redder pastures of Norman, it seems he has the confidence and swagger to be the kind of quarterback the Sooners need.

The Vols will give him a huge early-season test.

All statistics gathered from CFBStats.com, 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.