Five Burning Questions Surrounding the Tennessee Vols at SEC Media Days

Jan 2, 2015; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (second from left) is congratulated by wide receiver Johnathon Johnson (81) and guard Jashon Robertson (73) and center Mack Crowder (57) and offensive lineman Marcus Jackson (75) after scoring a touchdown in the third quarter of the 2015 TaxSlayer Bowl against the Iowa Hawkeyes at EverBank Field. The Tennessee Volunteers beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 45-28. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

5. How much depth is there compared to last year?

When injuries hit midway through last year and he previous year, Butch Jones’s Vols had no answer for them because of how thin they were. Yes, every team says this when they are bad.

But the Vols have a unique built-in excuse. Jones inherited a team that had a recruiting class on it with no offensive line. As a result, he was thin both years up front and could not replace injuries so easily. Couple that with the fact that he did not have experience at quarterback, there was a ton of turnover on offense, and the defense was back in a transition phase for two years, and it is easy to see how things became difficult.

This year, Jones should have an easier time with depth, but in places like the trenches you feel like you almost never have enough depth. Still, with inexperience in many places, that depth is a major question.

Fortunately, through recruiting and bringing in two straight Top Five classes, the cupboard is much more full than it was last year. But how ready will these new guys be to step up when injuries inevitably come?

That is the next question to ask.

Next: #4: Freshmen Impact