Tennessee Football: Biggest Surprises in Vols' Camp so Far

The first few practices of fall camp are in the books, and the Tennessee football team has enjoyed its share of headlines—not all of them positive.

Already, fifth-year senior left guard Marcus Jackson has endured an injury that will likely keep him out for much of the season. Freshman receiver Preston Williams' ACT score was flagged by the NCAA, and he was pulled off the field to retake the test.

The Vols have several bumps and bruises that are keeping players off the field, and that is allowing the door to be opened for other players who weren't expected to contribute.

Positional battles are being waged, and players who were perhaps favorites for the spots entering the preseason find themselves looking up at guys who many overlooked.

That's been the flavor of August so far.

Training camp is about experimentation. The season is coming into focus quickly, and pivotal positions such as middle linebacker and the entire offensive line need to be finalized.

UT head coach Butch Jones told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan what the main focus would be on this spring as it pertains to the offensive line:

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We're going to move people around, and our job—when we get into training camp, we have to find the best five that'll play winning football for Tennessee. Not only the best five, but No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8, and then also continuing to develop our youth at that spot. But that's going to be critical, as we know it all comes to protecting the quarterback.

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From a slew of talented newcomers to some wily veterans who are proving they're not going to go quietly into that good night without a fight, the training camp atmosphere is bringing out the best in a bunch of players.

Let's take a look at some guys who've surprised in early camp sessions.

Kenny Bynum, Junior, Middle Linebacker

Credit: 247Sports

Much of the offseason buzz surrounding the middle linebacker position centered around midterm freshman enrollee Darrin Kirkland Jr. and redshirt freshman Dillon Bates.

Thus far, neither has overtaken the incumbent starter from the TaxSlayer Bowl, Kenny Bynum.

The redshirt junior from Jacksonville, Florida, worked much of the summer months on dropping his weight and improving his agility. Though he won't be mistaken for the fastest linebacker on the field, his lateral quickness has improved.

He also told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan that he's down 15 pounds to 230 since the bowl game.

The difference is notable to him and everybody else as well.

So, the surprise isn't that he's starting, but that he's playing so well thus far.

There has never been any question that Bynum's experience would be a bonus to have on the field, especially considering how many calls the middle linebacker must make in getting everyone lined up and settling gap assignments.

His athleticism has been very much in question throughout his career, but predecessor A.J. Johnson wasn't the fastest linebacker either, especially when it came to sideline-to-sideline speed, and he was still a tackle gobbler.

With Jalen Reeves-Maybin and either Curt Maggitt or a nickelback flanking him, Bynum doesn't need to be elite. He just needs to get everybody lined up and be a force in the run game without being a major liability in coverage.

That last aspect is the biggest worry, but with nothing but praise coming so far from everybody around, it appears Bynum has made strides. The main question is can he hold off the other guys who want his job.

Quinten Dormady, Freshman, Quarterback

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Everybody knows that Tennessee is Joshua Dobbs' team.

He's the man who'll make Jones' power-spread offense tick, and his dual-threat capabilities will be depended on to mask the potential of another subpar season from an experimenting offensive line.

But what if he goes down?

The Vols currently have two true freshmen backing him up in Quinten Dormady and Sheriron Jones, and while that isn't ideal, both have shown flashes of being dependable playmakers down the road. Dormady's continual development is encouraging for this season.

Dormady is big (6'4") and has developed his body since the spring. The strong-armed Texan got off to a strong start after enrolling in January and wowed everybody in the quarterback skills challenge at the Orange and White Game.

He has taken that head start and run with it.

"You could see where Quinten has that experience under his belt," Jones told GoVols247's Wes Rucker early in camp. "Quinten did a great job of really coming out, and you could see the command presence where (freshman Sheriron Jones) is still digesting the playbook and all that."

Considering UT's recent history of quarterback injuries and the fact that the offensive line still has some major question marks, Dormady's development is pivotal.

Nobody has officially anointed him the backup, but it's just a matter of time before he solidifies second-string duties. If Dormady continues to progress, there's no reason why he won't be Tennessee's quarterback of the future.

And he may see his share of action this year.

Jauan Jennings, Freshman, Wide Receiver

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Back in the spring, it appeared that Tennessee would have a logjam with three true freshmen quarterbacks vying to back up Joshua Dobbs.

But as Murfreesboro, Tennessee, athlete Jauan Jennings got onto the field and struggled mechanically and throwing the ball consistently, it became clear that his collegiate future may be best served at another position.

It's safe to say he's found a new home.

Since moving to wide receiver this fall, Jennings has been a revelation. He's easily the biggest positive story thus far in camp, and it's not out of the realm of possibility that he'll solidify his role in the receiver rotation this season.

At 6'3", 201 pounds, Jennings is the ideal size to play receiver. He is big, physical and—as everybody saw in the spring game when he turned the corner as a scrambling quarterback—has the potential to be dynamic with the ball in his hands.

Though the nuances of the position, such as blocking, may keep him from being a huge early-season contributor, the long-term prognosis for the move looks like Jennings could be elite.

It wasn't just early-camp lip service, either. Jennings is being continually praised by the coaching staff. Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord told Callahan that Jennings "just keeps getting better and better every practice."

If Preston Williams can return, he will team with Jennings and Vincent Perry to give the Vols a trio of freshmen receivers with exciting potential.

Jennings may have wanted to be a college quarterback, but it already looks like his quick move has him on the path to stardom.

Jack Jones, Freshman, Offensive Lineman

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A midstate freshman offensive lineman came out of nowhere in 2014 to earn a starting spot in camp, and Jashon Robertson became arguably one of Tennessee's top two players on the front.

Can Jack Jones duplicate that feat?

The injury to Marcus Jackson has thrust the freshman into the fray on the interior. After playing tackle this past spring after enrolling in January, Jones is now at guard, and he's pushing to start. There have been times where he has run out with the first team.

The two have been linked since Jones came on campus.

"Since Jack has been up here, he’s been stuck to my hip, asking me questions, watching my technique and everything," Robertson told the Tennessean's Matt Slovin. "I want to be one of the guys to help him moving forward as far as everything he needs. I know how it is. It's tough adjusting to college practice."

At 6'4", 307 pounds, the Murfreesboro, Tennessee, product from Oakland High School has the requisite size. He also has a mean streak that is reminiscent of those old-school UT linemen such as Rob Smith and Will Ofenheusle.

The former 4-star prospect was offered by many of the SEC's top teams, including Alabama, Auburn and Georgia. He decided to stay at home and fulfill a lifelong dream of playing for the Vols.

After gaining knowledge of the system to get a head start on guys like Drew Richmond and Venzell Boulware, Jones is now working his way into the rotation.

Given all the moving around and experimentation the UT coaches are doing with the line, there's no guarantee that Jones will wind up with one of the final five starting spots. However, he is certainly proving that he belongs in the mix.

It's obvious that he'll be a piece of the puzzle this year, and he's positioning himself to be a multiyear starter on Rocky Top.

Colton Jumper, Sophomore, Middle Linebacker

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With the way Butch Jones has recruited recently, and with all the talent at his disposal from which to choose, it's hard to believe there's a walk-on middle linebacker currently trotting out with the second team.

Yet there is Colton Jumper, the former Baylor School standout from Chattanooga who is making a name for himself as a sophomore.

Last year, Jumper was a special teams surprise for the Vols, proving he can play. This season, with highly rated former prospects such as Dillon Bates, Darrin Kirkland Jr. and Gavin Bryant trying to win that middle linebacker job, it's Kenny Bynum, Jumper and the pack so far. 

GoVols247's Wes Rucker wrote this week:

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Multiple sources in and around the program indicated late in the summer that sophomore walk-on Colton Jumper from The Baylor School in Chattanooga was emerging as arguably the team’s best middle linebacker.

The 6' 2", 225-pound Jumper, who can play multiple positions, [crept] into the conversation late last season, when multiple sources began dropping hints that the former Navy commitment might develop into a legitimately good SEC linebacker down the road. He continued improving throughout the spring and now seems likely to help the Vols—and maybe not just on special teams.

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Nobody is suggesting that's an indictment of UT's talent, either. Jumper was a pleasant surprise a season ago, and through hard work and a keen knowledge of defensive coordinator John Jancek's system, he may just play his way into the rotation.

Maybe it isn't a surprise to some within the program that Jumper has shot up the depth chart, but it is with all the top players the Vols have brought in. Whether or not he stays up there remains to be seen, but he's off to a great start.

Kyle Phillips, Freshman, Defensive End

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Kyle Phillips being good at football isn't surprising. After all, he was a 5-star prospect, and the U.S. Army All-American was coveted by many of the top programs in the country.

But he's been a bit of a forgotten man in fall camp, and that's just crazy considering the kind of impact he's already making on his teammates.

It's odd to say, but the Nashville native is sort of an afterthought amid all the Kahlil McKenzie-Shy Tuttle buzz that has captivated the defensive side of the ball for the Vols.

Phillips has already had the black stripe removed from his helmet. That's a rite-of-passage deal where the position group leaders determine when a newcomer has done enough to merit being depended on by his peers.

Only JUCO transfer Alvin Kamara had his helmet stripe removed before Phillips, who was the first UT freshman to receive the honor.

"I am very, very proud of Kyle Phillips," Jones told the Tennessean's Matt Slovin on Tuesday. "He gets better every single day."

At 6'4", 259 pounds, Phillips possesses a massive frame, sprinter's speed and the kind of motor you covet in your edge-rushers. The reason why McKenzie and Tuttle are being talked about more often is because they play at a position of need, while Phillips must wait behind Curt Maggitt and Derek Barnett.

But with Phillips' athleticism, there's no way the Vols can afford to keep him on the bench. He will play a lot, and he'll make a huge impact.

The way he has burst onto the scene is reminiscent of what Barnett did a season ago. Phillips won't duplicate those numbers, but he may eventually follow in Barnett's footsteps of stardom.

Coleman Thomas, Sophomore, Offensive Lineman

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A baptism-by-fire start to his career saw Coleman Thomas get destroyed by Oklahoma speed-rusher Eric Striker a season ago. 

Though it wasn't really fair to judge a freshman tackle having to play against some of the top defenders in the country, that lasting image wasn't the best one for Thomas. 

This fall, he is proving that first impressions shouldn't always last.

The 6'5", 301-pound sophomore from Max Meadows, Virginia, missed a lot of spring practice when he was accused of theft charges that were quickly dropped. Once he returned, he was pushing center Mack Crowder for first-team reps.

But this fall, he was back out on the edge playing right tackle. Even though Brett Kendrick seemed to have a firm grasp on the position after spring practice, Thomas has played so well out there that Kendrick has shifted inside to guard.

Right now, it appears that spot is Thomas' to lose.

Tennessee's coaches obviously like Thomas' versatility, having moved him around to so many places. But his size and athleticism are needed on the edge, and though his career didn't get off to a swimming start, maybe he'll have a chip on his shoulder when he gets back out there.

In UT's zone-blocking scheme, Thomas appears to be a good fit for the exterior from a size and athleticism standpoint. If he can put that nightmarish game against Oklahoma behind him, he actually played well at other times a season ago.

This year, the Vols will depend on him even more.

All recruiting information obtained from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered from UTSports.com unless otherwise noted. Quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

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