Staff Photo by Angela Lewis

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville punter Britton Colquitt waits for a scrimmage to begin in Neyland Stadium on Saturday.

1. Will the Clawfense succeed?

First-year offensive coordinator Dave Clawson has had success as a quarterback coach, coordinator and head coach at the lower levels of Division I football. How his system translates to the Southeastern Conference will arguably be UT’s biggest question this season, at least in the first month.

“The field is the same size down here,” Clawson has said several times.

True, but there are no 100,000-seat stadiums in the Football Championship Subdivision. There aren’t many 300-pound defensive tackles who run like linebackers, either. And there aren’t many 200-pound safeties who hit like linebackers and cover like cornerbacks.

2. Will Jonathan Crompton be the man?

Jonathan Crompton is talented. There was little doubt of that when he came to Tennessee as one of the nation’s top quarterback prospects, and it became clear when he nearly led the Vols to victory over LSU as a redshirt freshman in 2006.

But now he must be the man all the time. His team is good enough at every other position to compete for an SEC title. The Vols return their top six linemen from last season’s solid offense, as well their top six wide receivers and a set of proven tailbacks led by Arian Foster, who had more than 1,500 all-purpose yards last season.

All that talent won’t matter without solid quarterback play. Crompton must at least manage the offense, and even that might not be good enough for a championship run.

3. Who will get after the quarterback?

Lost in all the hype surrounding UT’s secondary is the biggest question on defense: Who will hurry opposing quarterbacks into bad decisions?

John Chavis’s defenses have been at their best when they didn’t need blitzing linebackers to make quarterbacks uncomfortable. That means the pressure is on the defensive line to provide pressure.

Veteran ends Robert Ayers and Wes Brown have reportedly had solid offseasons, but talented sophomores Ben Martin and Chris Walker could give the defense another dimension. They have the size-speed combination to make an impact, but history says they won’t play significant roles until they become all-around players who can also stop the run.

UT won the SEC East last season despite ongoing struggles to hurry the quarterback, but it’s hard to imagine that happening again this fall.

4. Who can punt and kick off for five games?

The Vols had one of the nation’s best returning kicking tandems until senior punter Britton Colquitt’s latest alcohol-related incident. He will miss the season’s first five games, and replacing him won’t be easy.

No one expects sophomore Chad Cunningham to punt and kick off as well as Colquitt, but he must be more consistent than he’s shown in practice the past two seasons.

5. Will Brandon Warren and/or Gerald Williams be eligible?

By most indications, Florida State tight end transfer Warren and junior college linebacker/defensive end transfer Williams will practice with the Vols today. But it’s not clear whether either will be eligible to play this season. Williams has one summer class to finish, while Warren isn’t quite through with the academic appeals process.

Either player could give UT an instant spark, but academically questionable transfers are never sure bets to get on the field.