Wait and see:
QB Joshua Dobbs: Dobbs went from third-stringer to breakout star in 2014, coming off the bench after Justin Worley’s injury to help lead the Vols to a strong finish down the stretch and their first bowl appearance since 2010. In just six games he completed 112-of-177 passes (63.3%) for 1,206 yards, ran for 469 yards and accounted for 17 total touchdowns. With the success of dual-threat quarterbacks like Russell Wilson, Cam Newton and Colin Kaepernick in the NFL, Dobbs could be a hot commodity if he becomes a more consistent passer. One big question with Dobbs will be if, he has the opportunity, he would would want to leave school early since he’s working on his aerospace engineering degree at UT.
LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin: Another breakout star in 2014 as a sophomore, Reeves-Maybin moved from special teams ace to dependable starting outside linebacker, finishing eighth in the SEC in total tackles (101). The converted safety isn’t huge at 6-1, 230 pounds, but he’s extremely versatile – strong enough to hold up against the run and quick enough to cover skill players in space. At least right now, coming back for his senior season seems to make the most sense, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.
RB Alvin Kamara: The redshirt sophomore will be draft eligible following the 2015 season. It’s a long shot to say that he’ll be a legitimate prospect after just one year at UT – especially since he’ll be splitting the workload with Jalen Hurd – but we’ve seen other top junior college transfers come in, have a huge impact and move on to the NFL. He’s definitely a wait-and-see type, and he could end up sticking around at UT for three years for all we know at this point, but he’s talented enough to keep on the NFL radar.
WR Von Pearson: A few NFL folks that we’ve spoken to in the past few months said that he’s on teams’ radars. That may all change, pending the outcome of a rape investigation he was named a suspect in recently. Already not a sure-fire prospect, he would need total legal clearance, reinstatement to the team and then a big senior year to make it to the next level. Definitely a wait-and-see scenario for Pearson right now.
