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Fans haven’t been this excited for a Tennessee season in quite some time. The Volunteers figure to challenge for the SEC East. To do so, they’ll need a veteran team to surpass its numbers from last season and go from decent to borderline elite.
Here’s a look at some of the stat leaders we project to pace the Volunteers in their quest to reach the SEC title game:
THE GENERAL — JOSHUA DOBBS
Dobbs is in position to have a monster year with a loaded arsenal at his disposal.
The Tennessee offense is coping with several issues early on in camp as injuries have raised some cause for concern about potential long-term problems for the Vols. The optimal word to focus on here is “potential.”
We’re not ready to scale back our prediction of 2,846 passing yards this season for Dobbs, the junior who takes over as full-time starter at quarterback this year. But we are going to keep an eye on it.
Dobbs could see his numbers decrease as the injuries along the Vols offense increase. The quarterback lost his most veteran offensive lineman on Aug. 10 when Marcus Jackson, owner of 12 starts last season at left guard, was feared lost for the year with a torn bicep.
Even without Jackson the line — which has been working out redshirt sophomore Brett Kendrick in Jackson’s place — should be vastly improved. Besides, Dobbs did more with less last year behind a line that was among the worst in the nation yielding 43 sacks. Despite that, he finished second on the team in rushing with 469 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Throw in a receiving corps that has seen various levels of injuries to the likes of Pig Howard, Marquez North, Von Pearson and Jason Croom in the last six months, and all of a sudden Dobbs may have some adversity he’ll have to overcome.
Luckily for Tennessee, experience and depth is now the name of the Vols offensive line. The line returns seven players this year with at least one career start, to go along with four incoming freshmen.
If the Vols receivers can get to, or close to, 100 percent healthy, then Dobbs could even surpass our projections.
MR. BREAKUP — CAM SUTTON
Cam Sutton will lead the Volunteers in passes defended. That’s about as non-controversial a projection as you can make.
The junior defensive back’s 16 passes defended in 2014 were the third-most in a single season in Tennessee history. With 25 for his career, Sutton won’t just lead the Volunteers in passes defended; he’ll set the program mark this season. If he sticks around for his senior year — that’s “if” — then expect him to put some distance between himself and current UT record-holder Jabari Greer (35 career passes defended).
Sutton has been putting in time this spring and summer at cornerback and at nickelback in the Vols deep secondary, where he’ll likely be matched up against opponents’ top receivers in 1-on-1 scenarios. With Sutton on lock-down duty, quarterbacks will be forced to look for second and third options. That provides more opportunities for DBs LaDarrell McNeil and Brian Randolph (two interceptions apiece last year) to tie for the team lead in picks.
SACK ATTACK — BARNETT/MAGGITT/REEVES-MAYBIN
Who doesn’t enjoy watching an opponent’s hapless quarterback get pulverized into the FieldTurf? No one. That’s who.
The sack is the “it” stat for defensive lineman. It causes fans to go wild and grown men to dance. Chicks would dig it the same way they love the long ball, if enough women actually watched football.
Tennessee has a pair of sack masters returning in DE Derek Barnett and DL/LB Curt Maggitt. The duo combined for 21 sacks in 2014, good for third in the nation for teammates. Maggitt bested Barnett in sacks 11 to 10, a stat we see both players improving upon in 2015 — enough to lead the SEC and perhaps even the nation.
But the real underrated, off-the-beaten path, hipster stat is tackles-for-loss. Barnett led the Vols with 20.5 TFLs. Offenses are going to be keenly aware of Barnett’s presence on the field, which should allow other defenders to step up. Look for Jalen Reeves-Maybin to improve upon his 11.0 TFLs and team-leading 101 tackles. The weakside linebacker will put up gaudy numbers this season and finish second on the team in TFLs and first once, again, in tackles.
GO VOLS, GO — HURD/HOWARD
As potent as the Tennessee offense can be when it’s clicking, the Volunteers didn’t have a single player crest the 1,000-yard mark in rushing nor receiving in 2014. In fact, you have to go back to Justin Hunter in 2012 to find the last Tennessee receiver to go for more than 1,000 yards in the air.
That changes this year as not one, but two Volunteers eat up more than 1,000 yards. The first is Jalen Hurd. The running back is coming off a season where he tallied 899 yards and 8 touchdowns. The emergence of Alvin Kamara could potentially take away carries from fellow sophomore Hurd. Still, we like Hurd to shake off the nagging injuries this summer to lead the Vols with more than 1,000 yards on the ground.
Pig Howard, rather than Von Pearson or Marquez North will top 1,000 yards receiving. The senior grabbed 54 passes for 618 yards and a score last year. While Pearson (5 TDs) and North (4 TDs) find the end zone regularly, Howard becomes the true chain-mover.
Chris Wuensch is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers South Carolina and Tennessee.
