Tennessee's Top 5 Players

Derek Barnett (Defensive End)

Tennessee Head Coach Butch Jones has one of the top young players in the country in sophomore DE Derek Barnett. Barnett might only have one season of college football

under his belt, but he made the most of his freshman campaign. Barnett finished last season with 10 sacks, 20.5 tackles for loss and 72 tackles. He quickly became one of Tennessee’s best pass rushers and best overall player on the team. Barnett will surely be in the conversation for awards at the end of the season.

Cameron Sutton (Defensive Back)

Entering his junior season, Sutton has started every single game since setting foot on campus. He gained the trust of his teammates over the past two seasons and now is recognized as a team leader. Sporting News dubbed Sutton as the nation’s No. 5 defensive back and was named Athlon’s Sports Preseason All-Conference Second Team. During his career at UT, Sutton has 20 pass breakups, five interceptions, 76 tackles and eight tackles for loss.

Curt Maggitt (Weak Side Defensive End)

Senior WDE Curt Maggitt is the heart and soul of the Tennessee locker room. Despite suffering injuries during his career, Maggitt has always battled back and will be an integral part of the front seven this season. Along with Barnett and incoming freshmen defensive tackles Kahlil Mackenzie and Shy Tuttle, Tennessee has one of the best defensive lines in the SEC. Last season, Maggitt posted a career season with 48 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 11 sacks. Look for Maggitt to lead this Tennessee defense and possibly play on Sundays in the future.

Pig Howard (Wide Receiver)

Howard might not be the biggest receiver on the field at 5’8 and 187 lbs., but he is the definition of consistency. Howard led the Vols in receptions (54) and receiving yards (618) in 2014 and returns this year for his senior season. He is expected to be a threat out of the slot this year, and will be a problem for any defense.

joshua Dobbs (QB)

Junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs has enough talent to be one of the best players in the country, but he still has to prove himself. The Tennessee staff has attempted to redshirt him the past two years, but each year he had to come in and play. This past season, he led an almost mathematically impossible comeback against South Carolina. This win triggered the snowball effect and began the hype train from that night on. Dobbs has all the capability and weapons available to be the best player on this team, all he needs to do is go out and play football.