KNOXVILLE -- In this season alone, Kentucky sophomore Randall Cobb has a 61-yard run, a 55-yard catch, a 37-yard pass, a 73-yard punt return and a 46-yard kick return.

The Knoxville-area native, who stunned Tennessee by picking the Wildcats over his childhood favorite Volunteers, is potentially a pesky problem looming in the near horizon.

Whether he lines up at receiver, special-package quarterback or return specialist, Cobb drives the Wildcats.

First-year UT coach Lane Kiffin admittedly doesn't understand why the former Alcoa High School standout hasn't scored 14 touchdowns in 10 games for the Vols.

"Randall Cobb is a great player," Kiffin said. "I wish he was here.

"I was thinking about this all day (Sunday). Think about the difference in him being here -- not just because we wouldn't have to play against him, but because he'd be on our team. He would add so much to our team. He's a really special player."

Cobb's already large role for Kentucky expanded even further when starting quarterback Mike Hartline left the lineup with a season-ending injury. Cobb still primarily plays receiver, but the former All-Southeastern Conference freshman quarterback has seen a significant increase in his Wildcat package snaps.

The shifty, 5-foot-11 southpaw isn't known for his arm, and he never threw for more than 144 yards as a full-time quarterback, but his passing game experience had made the Vols even more wary of Kentucky's Wildcat.

"We've played a lot of great people that run the Wildcat, but Randall is probably one of the best we've faced," UT junior defensive end Chris Walker said. "He's at least one of the SEC's best three at doing that. He just makes plays. He's all the time making something out of nothing.

"If you don't get him on the ground, he'll get to the corner and get 40 yards."

Vols secondary coach Willie Mack Garza said his players would do well to consider Cobb a normal, dual-threat quarterback when he plays that position.

That message at least hit home with junior All-America safety Eric Berry.

"Oh, yeah, you definitely have to respect that part of his game," Berry said. "He's not some running back or receiver playing quarterback. When he's back there, he's just a quarterback being a quarterback ... just a really athletic quarterback who can hurt you a lot of ways."

Reputation aside, plain statistics don't hint too strongly as Cobb airing it out when he steps in for freshman Morgan Newton. Cobb has only completed 2 of 7 attempts for 46 yards.

Still, his mere presence as a Wildcat runner could pose UT serious problems. Alabama, Ole Miss and others have gashed the Vols with similar packages.

"We've struggled with it at times, no question, especially against Ole Miss," Kiffin said.

Part of the problem, Kiffin said, is schematic. The Vols coach a risk-reward, one-gap defensive style that can be conducive to making or surrendering big plays.

"(The Wildcat) changes all your fits, it changes all your rules," Kiffin said. "I think the teams that are really disciplined with their defensive fits and play one-gap football, like we do, struggle the most against it. People that play two-gap football don't struggle against it as much, because if one gap opens up, someone can fall across.

"But when our gap opens up, the ball goes all the way to the free safety."

This week's biggest worry, according to Kiffin, is Cobb finding those seams.

"He's not the biggest guy or the fastest guy, but he's just one of those football savvy players," Kiffin said. "I never saw him in high school, but I'd imagine he was the same way -- that no matter where they put him or where he got the ball, he just made plays. You see it now. Whether it's catching a pass or taking a snap or taking a hand off or returning, he just has an ability for people not to get him down."

And Kiffin wishes that ability had stayed in East Tennessee.

The Vols offered Cobb a scholarship well before national signing day two years ago, but he'd already committed to Kentucky at that point and stuck by his word after a series of sleepless nights. He pressed for a UT offer before committing to former Kentucky assistant (and former Vols offensive coordinator) Randy Sanders.

"I think people always think about recruiting just as something that makes your team better," Kiffin said. "But if you miss on a guy, and he goes within your conference, and you don't take him, then that's a double whammy. Not only is he not playing for you, but you have to play him every year. This is a situation that not only would he make us better and be scoring touchdowns for us, but also he wouldn't be on their team.

"I think you're potentially talking about a 14- or 21-point difference in one player, whether he signed with Tennessee or went to Kentucky."

Other contacts for Wes Rucker are www.twitter.com/wesrucker and www.facebook.com/tfpvolsbeat.