Tennessee Football: Players to Watch in Vols' 2016 Spring Game

Tennessee's spring-ending Orange and White Game won't be a full-tilt game environment thanks to all the injuries knocking a dent in the depth chart. There are expected to be several skills competitions and one-on-one battles, along with some scrimmaging in a modified scoring system.

According to UTSports.com, "along with the traditional spring practice format, the Vols are scheduled to compete in the Circle of Life, one-on-one situations and quarterback and kicking challenges."

All that will add their own elements of entertainment to the fans on hand and to a regional audience watching on the SEC Network, but who are the players to focus on?

Why—other than watching the stunning development of longtime archnemesis Steve Spurrier being honored on Shields-Watkins Field—should you watch?

There are several reasons, and most revolve around the development of Tennessee's star-studded 2015 recruiting class consisting of players who are poised to make important steps as sophomores and redshirt freshmen this season.

Guys like Kahlil McKenzie, Preston Williams and Darrin Kirkland Jr. are going to be vital pieces to the '16 Vols, and Saturday is a good opportunity to see just how far they've come with a full year on campus and a bunch of weight-room reps under their belts.

Getting an extended look at a passing game that needs drastic improvement, as well as glimpsing first-year defensive coordinator Bob Shoop's scheme and where UT's players fit—these are other exciting options for your viewing.

So, let's take a look at some Vols you'll want to pay close attention to when the pads go on and we get ready for some (sort of) real football Saturday.

Joshua Dobbs, Senior Quarterback

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Everybody knows what Joshua Dobbs can do. But it's what the senior signal-caller hasn't been able to do thus far in his career that has the interest of Tennessee fans everywhere.

Can the Alpharetta, Georgia, native that VolQuest's John Brice dubbed "the face of Tennessee" this week change the face of the program?

When there's a blemish on your face, everybody around you sees it. The past couple of years, that blemish was Tennessee's passing game. At times, it's fine. Others, it's anemic and cost the Vols some games. 

Despite having a seasoned veteran behind center and some rising playmakers at receiver this spring, UT head coach Butch Jones told GoVols247's Ryan Callahan this week that the Vols need "to execute better" when it comes to the passing game.

That's a familiar refrain under the reign of Dobbs. Yes, he's a special talent who is Tennessee's best rushing quarterback since Condredge Holloway (with all due respect to Heath Shuler), but Dobbs' downfield passing limitations are real. He's got the arm but not the accuracy.

It's not like it's a facet of his game Dobbs is ignoring. It's a constant point of emphasis between him, offensive coordinator Mike DeBord and quarterbacks coach Nick Sheridan. UT seems to be getting better in that area, but the Vols still just aren't consistent.

How far they can go and just how good they can be in the passing game may wind up being the difference in the Vols having a good season and a memorable one. 

All of Dobbs' weapons won't be on display this weekend, and no team ever truly opens up the playbook for a spring game, but some subtleties will be there to watch, such as how accurate Dobbs is in the short and intermediate routes, how the deep ball looks and whether he can throw players open.

That may wind up being the biggest thing to watch in this weekend's scrimmage.

Preston Williams, Sophomore Wide Receiver

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

If there has been a breakout performer for Tennessee this spring, that player would unquestionably be sophomore receiver Preston Williams.

The Lovejoy, Georgia, product went from being a promising prospect who didn't quite live up to massive expectations as a freshman thanks to a couple of long-term injuries, to a player who appears primed to be Dobbs' biggest weapon after this spring.

Coaches laud his growing maturity, and with that came a blossoming ability that leads many to believe Williams can reach his massive potential.

Most of the time when Williams was mentioned this spring, it was in companion with classmate Jauan Jennings, a fellow receiver who also enjoyed a productive 15 practices. But Williams is the one who provided most of the flash.

After getting his black stripe removed early on in drills (a rite of passage awarded once teammates deem you dependable), the 6'4", 209-pound sophomore took that accomplishment and built on it. The spring that followed excites everybody around the program that desperately needs an alpha receiver to emerge.

Jennings and especially Williams look like they may wind up filling that role, as passing game coordinator Zach Azzanni told GoVols247's Callahan:

"

He's stronger. He's more confident. He's learning the offense. He's maturing and understanding, 'Hey, maybe I need to do this right or this right off the field' — eat better, sleep more, all those things.' And I think both of them are starting to learn that a little bit more — not where I want it yet. It's not to that top-notch, big-time college football player yet. But it's slowly improving.

"

With leading receiver Josh Malone missing this spring with injury, Tennessee needed somebody to step up. But, the fact is Williams always had the ability to be special. He just needed to tap into that potential.

If this is just the beginning, big things could be yet to come.

Kahlil McKenzie, Sophomore Defensive Tackle

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Last year, it was impossible for Kahlil McKenzie to hide.

Not only did the gargantuan prospect with the even bigger hype and personality arrive on campus with everybody believing he was going to dominate right away, but he carried with him the burden of being a legacy prospect who was the son of Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie.

The spotlight shone brightly, and it wasn't always the greatest of years for the 6'3", 344-pound former 5-star prospect. Playing one of the most difficult positions to learn in all of football, McKenzie didn't begin to look like the stud blue-chipper until the end of the season.

That development continued into this spring, but the line-plugging defensive tackle is getting better and better. By the time the season gets here, expect him to team with Shy Tuttle to form a formidable duo that has UT fans everywhere excited.

McKenzie is one of the most important players on the entire team—not only because of his stature and ability, but because of the position where he plays.

Defensive tackle hasn't been one of the most productive positions for UT in recent years. While the Vols have some talented players ready to fit into the rotation, that rotation isn't deep. At all.

With JUCO transfer Alexis Johnson still suspended indefinitely, Tennessee is only about five deep at the position.

The Vols desperately need McKenzie to be dependable, dominant and be in good enough physical condition to be a workhorse on the interior. 

This weekend will be the first time viewers will get to see him since he punished the Northwestern Wildcats in the Outback Bowl before ridiculing them afterward, per B/R's Katie Richcreek.

How far he's come will go a long way in answering some of the questions UT has on the defensive interior.

John Kelly, Sophomore Running Back

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Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara have nothing to prove. They're going to get their yards, carry the Vols' offensive load and be the focal points of the 2016 drive toward a hopeful championship.

But the future of the position is certainly up in the air.

Tennessee is hot and heavy after running backs in the '17 recruiting cycle, such as Ty Chandler, Cam Akers and Chase Hayden, but there's a player already on campus who will pretty much be expected to carry a huge load, especially if Hurd and Kamara bolt for the NFL after this season, as expected.

Former Detroit-area prep standout John Kelly played sparingly as a true freshman last year, and his mop-up time was all during stretches where the Vols were calling student-body left and right plays into the line of scrimmage to run out the clock in blowouts.

That doesn't mean they think little of Kelly; quite the contrary, actually.

He's 5'9", 212 pounds, runs with a low center of gravity and has quality wheels for a player his size. With Hurd and Kamara on cruise control for much of the spring, this has been an extended audition for Kelly. He hasn't disappointed.

"John Kelly can be as good as he wants to be," Dobbs told GoVols247's Wes Rucker. "He's really dynamic. He's fast. He clocked the fastest speed with the GPS the other day. He's elusive in space, and then he also has a power game. He can be as good as he wants to be."

It's been years since UT churned out a quality running back, dating all the way back to Arian Foster. While Bryce Brown and Montario Hardesty played some important snaps in the NFL, neither enjoyed a career worth chronicling. 

Hurd and Kamara are about to restart that pipeline. When they leave, they have to pass the torch to somebody, and while UT needs to restock the pantry, Kelly is already primed to play an important role.

This weekend will be a prime opportunity to see how he handles a little time in front of the cameras.

Darrin Kirkland Jr., Sophomore Middle Linebacker

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Once defensive leader Jalen Reeves-Maybin suffered a spring-ending injury this spring, the Vols started with the man in the middle, asking him to change his ways.

No longer would Darrin Kirkland Jr. just be able to wait in the wings and listen to the vocal JRM instruct the defense. This was now his defense to coach and lead, and Shoop wanted him to rise to the occasion.

Though it stinks that JRM lost some key reps this spring, it may wind up benefiting Tennessee in the long run. When the Vols get their star back, they'll have two big-time leaders on the second level of the defense who are comfortable not only with the scheme but with holding others accountable on the field.

There's no denying Kirkland's immense potential. He's the prototype as an SEC linebacker: big, strong, smart and with the ability to play downhill or sideline-to-sideline. After getting acclimated in '15, he wound up starting 10 of 13 games and finishing fourth on the team with 66 tackles.

That tally was good enough for second among all SEC freshmen.

He actually has the ability to lead the Vols in tackles this season, and that's with a healthy JRM on the field. Surveying the defense from the middle of the field gives players such as Kirkland an advantage to sniffing out plays. As good as he is against the run, Kirkland will get plenty of opportunities.

Everybody knows he's good, but just how good can he be is the next question.

If the Indianapolis, Indiana, product winds up living up to the belief during his recruitment that he'd be a special player no matter where he wound up, he'll be a star in Knoxville. Many of the country's top programs recruited him, and UT got a steal when he flipped from Michigan following the firing of Brady Hoke.

Kirkland didn't start right away upon his arrival in Knoxville, but it didn't take him long to usurp Colton Jumper. After that, he never looked back.

Looking forward, it's shaping up to be a huge sophomore campaign for Kirkland.

Drew Richmond, Redshirt Freshman Left Tackle

Credit: 247Sports

If Kahlil McKenzie holds the key to being one of the most important players on the defensive side of the ball, you don't have to look far to find his counterpart on offense.

Try just shifting your eyes across the line on Saturday.

That's where you'll find redshirt freshman offensive tackle Drew Richmond, who may just inherit the difficult task of going from a year where he didn't always travel with the team and never played a snap to being inserted into one of the most challenging spots in the entire lineup.

Right now, Richmond is guarding Dobbs' blind side.

In an on-the-job training environment this spring, Richmond wound up with some important lessons that began a season ago, as he told the Tennessean's Matt Slovin.

"In high school, I was bigger than everybody and more athletic than everybody, so things came easier," Richmond said. "Here, you've got to learn to use your mind, use a lot of different things to win. It’s not just based on your ability and size."

Then, later in the article, he noted: "I'm getting my confidence back. It did take a dip at first."

Having that swagger is important at a position as vital as left tackle, but it isn't as if UT is devoid of options if he isn't ready. Not only do the Vols have a trio of young tackles coming in this class, but they've got two quality right tackles in Chance Hall and Brett Kendrick and some guards who could play the position, too.

But, ideally, Richmond would live up to his top-recruit billing and be the man who can slide right into the position and help Tennessee move on from the loss of quality left tackle Kyler Kerbyson.

Going against all that immense talent UT possesses at defensive end has to help Richmond, and this weekend will be a nice litmus test on whether or not he can hold his own in front of a big crowd. So, watch that one closely.

Marquill Osborne, Freshman Defensive Back

Credit: 247Sports

It's totally fine to eagerly anticipate the arrival of marquee, hotly recruited prospects Nigel Warrior and Tyler Byrd, who'll be in orange and white as early as this summer.

But the true freshman defensive back who is already on campus simply shouldn't be overlooked.

Marquill Osborne is a really good player who is going to help the Vols a lot, and that's probably going to start this season. 

Tennessee has a defensive backfield that features such good-looking players as Cameron Sutton, Todd Kelly Jr., Malik Foreman, Rashaan Gaulden, Evan Berry, Micah Abernathy, Justin Martin, Emmanuel Moseley and others. Yet, Osborne has gotten nearly as many headlines as any of them. 

He's got great size and silky speed that makes what he does look effortless on the field. He brings back to mind memories of a young Sutton, who wasn't quite as heralded as the former 4-star Osborne but was also overlooked. All Sutton did was step right in and start right away.

So, there's a bit of inspiration for Osborne, who told Slovin when referring to Sutton: "He’s a huge leader for me. I want to be just like him."

Right now, Osborne looks like the nickelback of the future for UT. With Foreman holding down that spot right now, it'll be difficult for Osborne to wrest it away. After all, Foreman took his knocks a season ago, and he emerged as a seasoned veteran who began to play loosely toward the end of '15.

Coaches always tend to prefer players who have proved they can do well in game situations, so Foreman is going to get a lot of action. But that doesn't mean Osborne will stand on the sideline. He'll likely be the first nickel off the bench, and with UT looking like it should be pretty good this year, he'll get opportunities.

With all that talent Tennessee recruited in the secondary, it's tough to stand out. But watch Osborne this weekend, and you'll see why everybody is high on his future.

Darrell Taylor, Redshirt Freshman Defensive End

Credit: 247Sports

The SEC is known for those huge, athletic, freakish defensive ends with the wide wingspans, blazing speeds and the abilities to reach opposing quarterbacks in a hurry.

It looks like Tennessee is developing one of those players of its own. 

Redshirt freshman Darrell Taylor is still learning the defense and coming into his body after redshirting a season ago in Knoxville, and he's by no means a finished product this spring. But he's also far too talented to keep off the field, and defensive line coach Steve Stripling almost certainly will find ways to utilize his strengths.

The Vols have a bevy of talented defensive ends, led by Derek Barnett and rounded out by guys like Corey Vereen, LaTroy Lewis, Kyle Phillips and with top-ranked JUCO player Jonathan Kongbo coming in.

But they don't have anybody quite like Taylor.

He's still a shade underweight at just below 240 pounds standing at 6'4", and technique-wise, Taylor doesn't always do the right things. But he and now-injured classmate Austin Smith really were discussed heavily at times this spring as players who should be able to help right away.

No matter how good UT's ends look on paper, the Vols tallied just 30 sacks a season ago, and that number must improve. When you've got a player with Taylor's raw skills, you've got to use them.

The way Shoop loves to rotate defensive linemen, it's a given Taylor will have his shot to earn meaningful reps not only Saturday but throughout the season.

It's going to be exciting watching him develop into a household name over the course of his UT career. This Saturday will be the first chance to see what he can do.

All quotes and information gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting information gathered from 247Sports unless otherwise noted. All stats gathered at UTSports.com unless otherwise noted.

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