By Matt Smith
SouthernPigskin.com

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With 18 returning starters, Tennessee is hoping to finds itself in SEC East contention this fall.

Head Coach: Butch Jones 3 Third year at Tennessee; ninth year overall (62-40, 5-11 SEC)

2014 Record: 7-6 (3-5 SEC); defeated Iowa in TaxSlayer Bowl

Returning Starters: 18 (10 offense, 8 defense)

2015 Schedule

Sept. 5 3 vs. Bowling Green (Nashville)
Sept. 12 3 OKLAHOMA
Sept. 19 3 WESTERN CAROLINA
Sept. 26 3 at Florida

Oct. 3 3 ARKANSAS
Oct. 10 – GEORGIA
Oct. 24 3 at Alabama
Oct. 31 3 at Kentucky

Nov. 7 3 SOUTH CAROLINA
Nov. 14 3 NORTH TEXAS
Nov. 21 3 at Missouri
Nov. 28 3 VANDERBILT

3 Stars

1. QB Joshua Dobbs (Jr.)

Dobbs has finished each of the last two seasons despite not being the opening-day starter in either year. As a sophomore, Dobbs lost only once a starter, going 4-1 with the lone loss to SEC East champion Missouri. His intelligence and ability to grasp a complex offense are the aerospace engineering majors greatest strengths. The next step is for Dobbs to become a more consistent passer after having just a 9-to-6 TD-INT ratio last season.

cWe challenged him this spring to be what we call a CEO quarterback, an individual who owns the team, who owns the offense, that can solve problems on his own, that can provide the leadership and stability that you expect from that position.d 3 Jones on Dobbs

2. DE Derek Barnett (So.)

The Vols were one of the youngest teams in the nation last year, which allowed freshmen like Barnett to see the field early. The Nashville native shined right away, helping the Tennessee defense improve by 53 yards per game and almost five points per game from 2013. Barnett finished the season with 10.5 sacks, and even held Ole Miss left tackle and likely top-10 NFL Draft pick Laremy Tunsil to a virtual draw in their one-on-one battle in October. Anything short of an All-SEC sophomore season would be a disappointment.

3. CB Cam Sutton (Jr.)

Very quietly, Sutton has emerged into one of the best cornerbacks in the country. He only recorded three interceptions last season, a factor in him not landing on the national radar, but he had an SEC-high 13 pass breakups. Sutton, along with senior safeties Brian Randolph and LaDarrell McNeil, lead a veteran secondary that could make the jump from good to great in 2015.

cCam has come a long way. He now gives us the luxury of the ability to play more man-to-man coverage. Hes very, very cerebral. Hes an intelligent football player. Hes a true student of the game.d 3 Jones on Sutton

3 Question Marks

4. Will the offensive line be fixed?

Thanks to ex-head coach Derek Dooley not signing a single offensive lineman in his final recruiting class, Jones inherited a quagmire in the trenches. The fruits of Dooleys lack of labor were quite evident last year, and will continue to haunt the Vols this season. There is at least some experience now, with four of five starters back, but the overall talent level isnt up to par. The Vols arent going to win games because of their line, but the hope is to avoid losing games because of it.

5. Who takes over for A.J. Johnson at middle linebacker?

Johnson was a mainstay in the middle of the Volunteers defense for four years prior to an unfortunate ending last November following sexual assault allegations. The battle to replace him a deep one, with junior Kenny Bynum, sophomore Dillon Bates, and freshman Darrin Kirkland all with a legitimate chance to claim the role. The call here is for Bynum to start the season, with Kirkland assuming the starting role later in the year.

6. Can the receiving corps stay healthy?

Obviously, this is a question without a definitive answer. Marquez North missed three games last season. Josh Smith was lost for the year after an ankle injury at Oklahoma. Josh Malone was never 100 percent all season. There was little continuity last year for Tennessee, but theyll start fresh this season with leading receiver Pig Howard back as well as sophomore Von Pearson, who was recently reinstated to the team. This unit has every type of receiver you want, but the injury bug must be avoided.

3 Newcomers to Watch

7. RB Alvin Kamara

An Alabama transfer who spent last year in junior college, Kamara dazzled in the spring, leaving Vols fans dreaming of what he and standout sophomore Jalen Hurd could produce this fall. The duo has nicknamed themselves cThe CMGd (Chain-Moving Gang). At 511d and 195 pounds, Kamara isnt nearly the physical specimen of the 240-pound Hurd, but his speed and elusiveness make him difficult to bring down.

8. DT Kahlil McKenzie

The son of Oakland Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie arrived in Knoxville this summer at 330 pounds. Hell have to beat out blue-collar veterans Danny OBrien and Owen Williams, but McKenzie is at an entirely different level physically. There will be some natural growing pains, but the Volunteers will gladly accept them with how important McKenzie is to the program over at least the next three seasons.

9. DT Shy Tuttle

Unlike McKenzie, who did not arrive on campus until the summer, Tuttle was a January enrollee who got to experience spring practice. McKenzie is considered the slightly better prospect, but Tuttle would be the top defensive lineman in almost any other schools recruiting class had he not chosen to attend Tennessee. The thought of a McKenzie-Tuttle pairing at defensive tackle for the next three years is a scary one.

cShy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie are very, very talented players but theyre unproven. Theyre going to be going up against juniors and seniors in this conference. But theyre very, very talented and theyve been mentored.d 3 Jones on his freshmen defensive tackles

3 Key Stats

10. Sacks Allowed 3 You almost felt bad for Justin Worley last season, as the senior quarterback was constantly taking hits that his body ultimately couldnt withstand. Tennessee allowed 43 sacks last season, including five or more in four different games. The line will be better this year (it cant be any worse), and Dobbs mobility should help reduce the sack total.

11. Explosive Plays 3 Worley wasnt a great deep ball thrower, hindering the ability of the Tennessee offense to produce big plays in the passing game last season. Dobbs strength isnt a rocket arm either, but he did bring more explosiveness upon taking over for Worley. The Vols 13 passing plays of 30 yards or longer were the second-fewest in the SEC, but more than half came after Dobbs took over as the starter on Nov. 1.

12. Red Zone Defense 3 Tennessees defense was overall a pleasant surprise last season, but it struggled mightily at cracking down in short fields. 68 percent of opponents red zone trips ended in touchdowns, with the Vols only allowing no points on two of 34 visits inside the 20-yard line. When teams are evenly matched, games are more often than not decided between the 20-yard lines and goal lines. To improve on its 7-6 record, Tennessee must force more stops with its backs against the walls.

3 Bold Predictions

13. Tennessee will defeat Florida. After 10 painful years on Rocky Top, the Volunteers will finally beat their SEC East rivals. A 3-1 start is imperative with the October schedule, and it will take a win in Gainesville for Tennessee to get there after an early defeat to Oklahoma. The Vols will have to grind out a win, which they failed to do a year ago in a 10-9, come-from-ahead loss, but the experience of 2014 will pay off in a huge road win in The Swamp.

14. Kamara will enter the NFL Draft after the season. With so many great SEC backs not eligible until the 2017 Draft (Hurd, Nick Chubb, Leonard Fournette), Kamara will make a calculated business decision to leave Knoxville after a successful 950-yard season. He could probably use another season in college, but the market suggests that it may be best for him to enter the 2016 Draft.

15. Tennessee will play Georgia Tech in the Independence Bowl. This team isnt there yet. And a 7-5 season will leave many fans wondering if Jones truly is the guy to return the program to the glory days of the mid-890s. But its still an improvement over last year, albeit a small one. The Volunteers will land in Shreveport to face Georgia Tech, another team with plenty of preseason promise that will be done in by a difficult schedule.