Tennessee Football: Volunteers' 2016 Offseason Summer Checklist

It's the time of year where we all sit around, grab the nearest calendar and tick off the number of days until the Tennessee (or insert favorite team here) football season starts.

Most everybody is enjoying the hottest months of the year around some body of water or on a baseball diamond somewhere, but in the back of every real football fan's mind, you've got the pigskin on the brain.

For the actual football players and coaches themselves, this is their time out of the spotlight. But away from the scribes' tape recorders and the glare of the television cameras, it's where championship programs begin to sprout from the seclusion of weight rooms and practice fields around campuses across the country.

The Vols hope to be no different. Coach Butch Jones always takes a meticulous, calculated approach to every moment of the offseason. So he'll have players on proper weight regimens, conditioning or rehab programs and utilize every moment he has with his team in the film room.

Like most coaches, Jones is dialed in to what needs to happen with every individual.

For some, it's maintaining that star potential. For others, such as center Coleman Thomas, it's taking that next step to being an elite player, Jones recently said at a Big Orange Caravan stop, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press' Patrick Brown:

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Coleman's made great progress and taken tremendous strides. We expect a big summer out of him. He's really committed himself in the strength and conditioning area in getting stronger. He's an individual now who's played a number of snaps for us, has been in a lot of battles, so to speak, and understands what it takes now to prepare at this level. I think it's a testament to his work as he continues to grow and elevate his game.

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When you're referring to individuals, you know you've got a detailed mental list. Let's take a look at some of the things that need to be on there as the Vols begin marking things off their summer checklist on the way to one of the most anticipated seasons in a long time on Rocky Top.

Get Healthy

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When you sustain the number of injuries Tennessee has in the past two years, quite frankly, heads need to roll, and that's exactly what happened a couple of months ago when former strength and conditioning coordinator Dave Lawson parted ways with the program.

Mike Szerszen is now leading the strength program for the Vols. 

And while it's inevitable that, come August, every report coming out of Knoxville, Tennessee, will report what every other college team who has changed strength coordinators would say—that the team is in the best shape of Jones' tenure—the proof will be in the product.

How many UT players are healthy, and will they stay that way?

Szerszen has his work cut out for him. More than 20 players either didn't participate in spring drills or were lost during them. Among those are marquee players Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Derek Barnett, Josh Malone, Chance Hall, Jauan Jennings and many more.

Defensive tackle Shy Tuttle still hasn't returned from last year's nasty leg injury suffered against Georgia, and the Vols really need to get all of their star players back in order to live up to the massive expectations surrounding them.

For some guys, that means getting in the weight room, getting back in shape and not doing too much. For others, it's resting and rehabilitation. In other words, once practice rolls around in August, Tennessee needs to have a full deck of players ready to go. That's the goal.

As of now, the majority of the hurt players are expected back. Tuttle and Jennings could be out a little longer, but none should be in danger of missing any key game reps.

Out of all the things on the summer agenda, getting the Vols back and ready to go should be No. 1 on the list. That burden falls at the feet of Szerszen, Jones and everybody else in charge in Knoxville.

Build a Receiving Rapport

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Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs won't be looking at a completely new set of targets this summer, but at times it may seem that way.

Depending on how the rotation shakes out, only Josh Malone and Josh Smith should be receivers who played the whole season with Dobbs in 2015. Of course, Preston Williams and Jauan Jennings contributed as freshmen, but they weren't every-down players throughout the year.

With Marquez North, Von Pearson and Johnathon Johnson gone, Dobbs will be looking for players to fill that void. Williams, Jennings and JUCO transfer Jeff George are good bets to do so. A freshman foursome of Tyler Byrd, Marquez Callaway, Latrell Williams and Brandon Johnson could have something to say about that, too.

There will be a lot of new faces this spring, and while Jennings will be rehabbing an injury, Dobbs must develop a rapport with a lot of the new guys.

An early guess is that Malone and Williams will separate themselves as the top two, and Smith will be a steady force, too. Tight ends Ethan Wolf and Jason Croom are sure bets to be big weapons, and running backs Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd have proven able receivers, too.

But who'll fit in afterward? If the Vols are going to improve offensively and, most importantly, in the win column, they've got to establish a more consistent passing game. It may seem like a broken record as much as it's talked about, but it's the difference in a good team and a great one.

There are players with speed and talent in that receiving corps, and they could hold the key to a missing element of UT's offense: big-play ability. Knoxville News-Sentinel columnist John Adams agrees that if the Vols could sprinkle in some huge plays, it would make a difference.

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In seven games, Tennessee didn't have more than one play of 30 yards or more from scrimmage. And it didn't have any against North Texas. The Vols also didn't have more than three in any of their games.

If the Vols added one more 30-yard-plus play from scrimmage per game, the difference could be significant. And given their talent, that's a reasonable expectation.

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Everybody knows the running backs and Dobbs have that ability, but where is it in the passing game? It's there, but it's time for some of those guys to stand up. This summer, Dobbs needs to get comfortable with his receivers, because fall will be too late.

Develop Some Offensive Tackle Depth

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Tennessee has a ton of depth in the interior of the offensive line with Jashon Robertson, Dylan Wiesman, Coleman Thomas, Venzell Boulware, Jack Jones, Charles Mosley, Austin Sanders and more.

The pool gets shallower the further out on the perimeter you go.

At tackle, there's Chance Hall, Drew Richmond, Brett Kendrick and…that's about it right now.

This spring, walk-on Thomas Edwards was getting reps at tackle over former top recruit Dontavius Blair, so it's unclear whether either of those guys can help. The freshman trio of Ryan Johnson, Nathan Niehaus and Marcus Tatum are coming in, but relying on first-year players is a gamble.

While Johnson could be physically ready to contribute some, Niehaus and Tatum need a year to get bigger and flesh out their lanky frames.

So what does that mean for Tennessee? It's difficult to get through the rigors of the SEC schedule with three offensive tackles. 

Maybe Johnson is good enough to help right away. The former 4-star product from Brentwood Academy is the ideal fit for Tennessee's zone-blocking scheme on the exterior. But if he can't go, what then?

The Vols must get a guard or two ready to shift outside. Weisman seems entrenched on the interior, but Boulware and Jones may be good enough to allow Robertson to shift outside, if needed. Also, both Boulware and Jones were high school tackles who could potentially move out there, too, in a pinch.

With Hall coming off an injury, Richmond a redshirt freshman with zero game action and Kendrick a guy with half a season starting under his belt, that's an underrated shaky situation in Knoxville. Sure, there's a lot of talent there, but the Vols must solidify that situation.

Building some tackle depth this summer and trying to find some emergency fits there are critical components to Tennessee's championship hopes. Who's going to show he has that versatility to move outside?

Rekindle That Recruiting Flame

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Tennessee is one of the hottest names in all of college football right now, but for whatever reason, it hasn't translated yet in the 2017 recruiting class.

Whether that's because of the nasty headlines of the Title IX lawsuit or because of all the depth the Vols have built in recent years or because prospects are taking a wait-and-see approach on whether UT can take the next step forward, it hasn't been a fast start.

The recent Baylor headlines coupled with recent SEC spring meetings means Jones is having to answer questions comparing the two situations, even though they're vastly different.

"I'm not into comparisons," Jones said, according to ESPN.com's Brett McMurphy. "All I can speak on is the University of Tennessee. I feel strongly as everybody in our organization that we've done the right things. I'm proud of the culture that we have built."

Nobody expects the Vols to stay 30th in the recruiting rankings for very long.

They're in really good shape with some top prospects such as cornerback Deangelo Gibbs, receiver Tee Higgins, safety Maleik Gray, running backs Ty Chandler and Cam Akers, defensive tackle Rutger Reitmaier, defensive end Jordan Williams, offensive lineman Trey Smith and several others.

When will some of those guys pull the trigger? When they do, will it be for the Vols?

During Jones' first two full recruiting classes, he built and sustained momentum throughout the summer months through commitments in camps and "Orange Carpet Day" recruiting events. The Vols have several such outings planned this spring along with some satellite camps.

Last year in taking a smaller class, the Vols let the suspense build and didn't surge until the last few days before national signing day.

Without a defined quarterback target right now, there isn't anybody committed yet who can spearhead a huge peer recruiting session. The best thing for the Vols would be for them to get one of the in-state players to commit so they could start the momentum going.

Tennessee is battling Clemson, Alabama and Georgia most notably on the trail right now. It seems every player who the Vols are fighting for have those three teams on their lists. So when you're going up against powerhouses, you win some and lose some.

Also, with the caliber of players UT is recruiting, waiting is part of the game.

This summer, the Vols need to close the deal on a few of their top targets. If that happens, Jones could be back on his way to putting together another strong class on Rocky Top.

Unleash the Ultimate Warrior

Credit: 247Sports

One of those major recruiting wins on the last recruiting cycle was the national signing day signing of elite safety prospect Nigel Warrior.

After a long, arduous battle for his signature with some of the nation's top programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, LSU and Ohio State, Warrior ultimately chose Tennessee. That's where his father, Dale Carter, starred on his way to becoming an All-American, and Warrior has the ability to do the same.

"I want to make my own path," he told the Chattanooga Times Free Press' Patrick Brown. "I want to follow his footsteps, but I want to do it in a different way. I want to do it better."

If that happens, Warrior will wind up being a legend. He's already arguably the most talented defensive back prospect the Vols have lured since Eric Berry. Even with a loaded safety stable that includes Todd Kelly Jr., Rashaan Gaulden, Evan Berry, Micah Abernathy and Stephen Griffin, Warrior could play.

Heck, he could start. He's that talented.

You can't keep a player with his natural ability off the field for very long, so defensive coordinator Bob Shoop is going to have to find a way to work him into the rotation sooner rather than later.

Now that Warrior is enrolled and about to start the strength and conditioning program, it's all about finding that comfort level and earning enough trust from the coaches to put him on the field.

Simply put, if Warrior makes you better right now, he needs to leapfrog everybody else on the depth chart. It's easy to anoint him the "next big thing," but it doesn't always work out so cleanly. Ask Kahlil McKenzie, who needed some time to get acclimated a season ago to the college game despite his lofty ranking.

Warrior is polished, he's talented and he has elite ability. How long will it take him to translate that into a player who cannot be denied? If it happens as early as this spring, the Vols know they have a special player on their hands.

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

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