KNOXVILLE -- Though the two played different positions on opposite sides of the football, Cam Sutton and Josh Dobbs were freshman-year roommates after both signed with Tennessee in 2013 as part of coach Butch Jones's first class.
More than two years later, Dobbs is the quarterback who's leading the Volunteers into what appears to be a bright future.
From their days as roommates, though, Sutton, the All-SEC-caliber cornerback who's started all 25 games in his career, still can recall learning how Dobbs operated both on the field and away from football on a daily basis.
Tennessee defensive back Cameron Sutton celebrates stopping Utah State on 3rd down during the Vols' season-opener football game against the Aggies on Sunday, Aug. 31, 2014, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville."He's a little different off the field," Sutton said after the Vols opened spring practice Tuesday afternoon. "Even on the field, he's a high-energy, high-motor guy. A lot of times, off the field, we were hanging out in the room playing in a game, studying -- he's just all about his business. He knows when it's time to play and when it's time to get serious and it's time to go.
"That's one quality trait I like about him."
This is coming from one of the hardest-working players on Tennessee's team in Sutton, who skipped out on any beach vacations or cruises last week and chose instead to go back home and train during the university's spring break.
The approach Dobbs showed Sutton appears to be serving him well as he takes over the reins of an offense and a program now facing much higher expectations. The Vols now are expected to do more than just compete or win enough games to go to a bowl game, and how they ultimately fare in accomplishing the elevated objectives rests heavily on Dobbs, who saved last season with his ability to run, keep plays alive with his legs and throw accurate passes.
And the rising junior knows this, evidenced by his offseason approach.
"I was trying to throw as much as possible," he said.
Whether that involved his teammates depended on everybody's schedules.
Monday, Jones recalled walking out of his office earlier this offseason to see the the lights on above Tennessee's indoor practice field and Dobbs by himself throwing footballs into nets with three small targets across the front.
University of Tennessee football coach Butch Jones talks about the 2015 recruitment class on National Signing Day on Feb. 4, 2015, in Knoxville."As a quarterback, you've got to be willing to put in the extra hours," the 6-foot-3, 216-pounder said. "I tried to get in as many people in here as possible to work out with me, but some days it's good to come here and just get away from things and work out by yourself.
"Most of the time there were guys in here working out with me, whether it was receivers, other quarterbacks, tight ends. A lot of the guys love coming in here and putting in extra work. Guys are in here until sundown on the weekends working, so it's definitely good to see the amount of dedication we have on this team."
Dobbs organized most of the offseason throwing sessions with the quarterbacks and receivers on his own after sharing those duties with older quarterbacks his first two years, and Sutton said Dobbs would try to get the defensive backs involved to get a preview of different coverages and looks so he could go through his reads.
Jones said Monday he wanted Dobbs to become a "CEO quarterback" and "own the football team."
Dobbs said Tuesday he wanted to "push this team" through this spring and into the season and described what he thinks it looks like to own a team.
"It's a guy who knows all his teammates on a first-name basis and has a relationship," he explained, "and once you have a relationship with your teammates, you're able to build upon that on the field, whether you're coaching them or whether you're critiquing them. It goes a long way once you establish a relationship like that.
"Owning the team just means the team knows you're the guy and knows you're the starting quarterback, and they know what to look for from you, and you demand that out of them."
Dobbs credited his teammates for how they've responded to him.
"Since I've gotten here, my teammates have known me as a leader, and they've definitely shown that and they've definitely respected things that I've said," he said. "They're always open to things I say and how I push them and how I coach them. That's just continuing and that's just grown this offseason."
According to Sutton, Dobbs has embraced his leadership role.
"We all look up to him," he said. "That's just something we would talk about (as roommates), just embracing that quarterback role, and he's done that. He's getting guys lined up to where they need to be, he's moving at a fast tempo and he's making plays out there.
"He's continued to improve each every day. They've got a great offensive coordinator in Coach (Mike) DeBord that's scheming up whatever he wants. There's so much versatility on that offense, and we've got the right guy at quarterback."
Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.