Five for '15: Tennessee's most valuable players

KNOXVILLE - With the Tennessee Volunteers nearing the start of preseason football practice, the Times Free Press is setting the stage for a much-anticipated 2015 season with the "Five for '15" preview series, which begins today with a look at Tennessee's most valuable players.

1. QB JOSH DOBBS

It's not fair to say Tennessee's season hinges entirely on its starting quarterback, but he's certainly the primary source of the hype and the hope the Vols have for 2015 after he led last season's turnaround.

Dobbs has both the talent and the intangibles to take Tennessee to the next level, but with a freshman (likely Quinten Dormady) as his backup, his health will be key. Dobbs will have to manage himself when he runs, and Tennessee must be better in protection than it was last season. The Vols weren't able to keep their starter healthy the past two seasons.

Though he was a revelation last year after going from third-string to season-saver, Dobbs knew he had room to improve heading into his first season as the full-time starter.

"I know various things that I need to work on to continue to improve, and I attack that every day I've stepped on the field," Dobbs said at SEC Media Days earlier this month in Hoover, Ala. "I have my list of things I want to work on each day - what throws I want to get, who I want to get throws with and everything. I've always been like that.

"I always have had a plan and have always known how to attack that plan."

2. LB JALEN REEVES-MAYBIN

The junior is a strong favorite to lead Tennessee in tackles after sharing the team lead last season, his first as a full-time defensive starter. A special-teams ace as a freshman in 2013, last season Reeves-Maybin finished with 101 tackles (11 for loss), putting together a career-high 13-tackle performance in the TaxSlayer Bowl.

After playing most of last season in the shadow of two-time All-Southeastern Conference pick A.J. Johnson, Reeves-Maybin will anchor the middle of Tennessee's defense. He'll have to pick up some of Johnson's production, too, with the Vols unproven beyond him at linebacker and still looking for an answer at the other spot in their base defense.

Reeves-Maybin's value extends beyond production to characteristics such as leadership and communication, and he'll play a key role for Tennessee's defense as he tries to tap into more of his potential.

3. DE DEREK BARNETT

How good was Barnett's freshman season?

He was one of only seven defensive linemen in the country who had more than 20 tackles for loss last season. Of the other six, two (Clemson's Vic Beasley and Missouri's Shane Ray) were first-round NFL draft picks, Utah's Nate Orchard and Missouri's Markus Golden went in the second round and Ohio State sophomore Joey Bosa was a unanimous All-America selection.

That is some elite company, and there's been nothing that would suggest Barnett will be slowing down. He's back healthy from the shoulder surgery that forced him to sit out spring practice and is ready to go for preseason practice. The only question with Barnett is how much better he can be.

4. RB JALEN HURD

Hurd was Tennessee's only playmaker at running back last season, so when he was limited or sidelined in games due to some minor bumps and bruises, the Vols suffered offensively.

Junior college transfer Alvin Kamara and Cincinnati graduate transfer Ralph David Abernathy IV are now on campus to shorten the drop-off beyond the 6-foot-3, 242-pound sophomore, but there's a reason why Tennessee's coaching staff wanted Hurd to add strength and weight to his frame in hopes of improving his durability.

Tennessee's best offensive performances last season came when Hurd got 20 or more touches. Even with Kamara's speed and home-run ability, Hurd - whose talent and drive are unquestioned - should be an offensive cornerstone for the Vols.

5. DE/LB CURT MAGGITT

Tennessee's coaching staff viewed Maggitt as an integral part of the program in 2013, when he redshirted after tearing an ACL late in the 2012 season, and that was long before he finished third in the SEC in sacks last season.

If Dobbs is the face of Tennessee's offense, it's Maggitt in that role for the defense. Often injured early in his career, Maggitt is hopeful he can have a second straight season of health and production.

In Maggitt and Barnett, the Vols have one of the SEC's best pass-rushing tandems - the two are aiming for 30 sacks this season after combining for 21 in 2014 - and that makes the job easier for any defensive coordinator.

NEXT IN LINE

> CB Cameron Sutton: The two-year starter is one of Tennessee's best players and hardest workers.

> WR Pig Howard: Tennessee's leading receiver each of the past two seasons, he should have steady production again as a senior.

> DT Danny O'Brien: The overlooked O'Brien came on strong late last season and is Tennessee's most experienced defensive tackle.

> LT Kyler Kerbyson: After some struggles with protection in 2014, the fifth-year senior believes he'll be more comfortable at tackle after spending all offseason focusing on the position.

> S Brian Randolph: Second on the team in tackles in 2013 and third among SEC defensive backs in tackles last season, the veteran is a rock-solid back-line player.