KNOXVILLE - At this point of the preseason a year ago, Tennessee's defensive line remained one of the team's biggest question marks.
Would the Volunteers hold up against the run? Could they generate consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks? How could a Southeastern Conference team handle losing all of its defensive-line starters?
The defensive line could be one of the Vols' strengths going into 2015.
"Our defensive line we're seeing stuff on film that I haven't seen since I've been here," defensive tackle Danny O'Brien said earlier this week. "Maybe if you go back and watch the John Hendersons and those guys and the way they got after it, maybe that would compare to it. We're getting after it.
"I love to hear people doubt us. Everybody last year was saying we were going to be the worst defensive line in the SEC. Now everybody's trying to pat us on the back, but we don't let that faze us. We're going to get after it, and we don't listen to that kind of stuff. We're just trying to win."
Before you scoff at the notion of Tennessee returning to the days of having two future NFL starters at tackle in Henderson and Albert Haynesworth, remember that the Vols had one more sack in 2014 (35) than it had in 2001 (34), when Henderson was an All-American and Haynesworth became a first-round NFL draft pick.
Part of last season's unexpected production was the emergence of freshman Derek Barnett and the return of Curt Maggitt from his long injury layoff. The duo packed a pass-rushing punch off the edge that alleviated depth concerns at tackle, where the Vols rotated just three players most of the season. The two players combined for 21 sacks.
Beyond those two are Corey Vereen, a junior who started 11 games and had a 2.5-sack game at Ole Miss, and two players in LaTroy Lewis and Dimarya Mixon who played well in spot duty late in the season.
Kyle Phillips has turned some heads so far in training camp, and the freshman and Chris Weatherd should add to Tennessee's pass-rushing options.
If Tennessee can get consistent play from its defensive tackles, the Vols may be good enough up front to make the jobs easier for defensive coordinator John Jancek and the other defensive players.
"It's a lot less open-field tackles," safety Brian Randolph said. "You don't feel like you're on an island as much. Every time you see a running back, you see a Barnett or a Kyle Phillips right behind rushing him. He doesn't have time to make a move."
After finishing ninth in the SEC against the run in 2014, Tennessee does have question marks at defensive tackle, where freshmen Shy Tuttle and Kahlil McKenzie will be forced into early action.
The two newcomers were ranked second (McKenzie) and ninth (Tuttle) among defensive tackle prospects by 247Sports.com, so there's talent there, but there's a learning curve that has to be navigated, particularly with summer arrival McKenzie.
"He's a work in progress, but Kahlil's a hard worker," Jancek said. "He's dropped some weight even since he's been here. You can see his body starting to tone up.
"It doesn't happen overnight. We as coaches are the most impatient people in the world, and we've got to continue to tell ourselves that it just doesn't happen overnight and it's a work in progress, and that's the thing I'm most pleased about.
"I see our guys working to get a little bit better each and every single day, and if you just keep doing that, and if you can consistently do that - not have a good day and then the next day have a bad day - and consistently show that improvement, you'll like your product when the time comes."
Tennessee's coaches understandably are trying to temper the expectations for the two defensive tackles, but it's a good sign the talking points with the freshmen are their conditioning and effort.
It suggests the physical attributes, from talent and size to power and leverage, are there.
"We've got some giants down there, so it makes you feel a little bit smaller at times," Randolph said. "It's a good thing. At least they're on our side of the ball."
"It's not just Derek," Maggitt said. "We've got some real good guys on the inside: O'Brien, Vickers, McKenzie, Tuttle. We've got some guys (at defensive end) that are going to help us out a lot this upcoming season.
"Our whole D-line, we've got to eat together, and that's the way we're going to succeed."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com