Oct 25, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers fans line up for the Vol Walk outside Neyland Stadium prior to the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
With 20 starters back, Butch Jones also has a Top Five recruiting class of elite newcomers. Here are 10 Tennessee Vols freshmen who could play immediately.
For the second straight year, the Tennessee Volunteers have a cupboard filled with elite 18-year olds who could be poised to dominate in the SEC. But the best part is that this year, they also have lots of starters back, so the team is not loaded with inexperience.
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Technically, the Vols have 19 returning starters plus kicker Aaron Medley. But add in all the injuries at certain positions last year, particularly at wide receiver, and there is a lot of returning experience overall.
Having that would seem to make it unlikely that a freshman could see the field for Tennessee, which is a good thing. But there are certain areas with thin spots and certain elite players who could dominate right off the bat.
After all, let’s keep it real. Tennessee was 7-6 last year, not 10-3, which is what you would think based on the expectations going into this season. And before Joshua Dobbs came to turn a blowout loss into a respectable loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide after they had called off the dogs, the Vols were already about to be 3-5 with morale in Vol Nation at its lowest point.
That can’t change with one good month and a bowl win. There are still some deficiencies that we are not fully clear on yet, which means this new recruiting class will definitely be called upon at times.
Knowing that, here are the top 10 incoming Tennessee Vols freshmen who are most likely to have an immediate impact going into the 2015 college football season.
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