Five for ’15: Tennessee’s non-freshman impact newcomers

Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 4/25/15. The University of Tennessee's Alvin Kamara (6) runs the ball during the Dish Orange & White Game in Knoxville on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Final score was Orange 54, White 44. Staff Photo by Dan Henry / The Chattanooga Times Free Press- 4/25/15. The University of Tennessee's Alvin Kamara (6) runs the ball during the Dish Orange & White Game in Knoxville on Saturday, April 25, 2015. Final score was Orange 54, White 44.

By Patrick Brown July 30, 2015 5 min read

Five for ’15

* Tennessee’s most important games of upcoming season* Possible second-year surgers for Tennessee Vols* Tennessee’s non-freshman impact newcomers * Tennessee Vols’ impact freshmen * UT Vols’ most intriguing camp competitions * Tennessee’s most valuable players

KNOXVILLE — With the Tennessee Volunteers nearing the start of preseason football practice next week, the Times Free Press is setting the stage for a much-anticipated 2015 season with a “Five for ’15” preview series, which continues today with a look at some non-freshman newcomers who could have major impacts this season.

1. OC MIKE DEBORD

No, the “Five for ’15” series isn’t exclusive to players, especially when there’s a new assistant coach on staff for the first time in Butch Jones’s tenure as Tennessee’s head coach.

You could excuse the fan base if they’re nervous at the thought of a new coordinator taking over before a crucial season. The last two times it happened – with Dave Clawson in 2008 and Sal Sunseri in 2012 – the Vols had losing seasons that ended in head-coaching changes. Both of those coordinators, though, were overhauling the offensive or defensive schemes.