This article originally appeared with The Red & Black on July 8, 2015 and can be found here.

The notion that the Tennessee Volunteers are back has floated around the Southeastern Conference for several years. Lane Kiffin was trusted as a competent leader, but he bolted after one year. Derek Dooley had fans hoping he could coach like his father Vince, but he found himself out of work after three subpar seasons.

The same ideas about the Volunteers competing for an SEC title dominated this offseason. The difference is there may be something to it this time around.

Volunteers head coach Butch Jones walked into an ugly situation when he arrived in Knoxville after the 2012 season. Despite little help from his predecessors, he steadily improved the Tennessee program through recruiting and a few notable upset victories. With year three fast approaching, it looks like the team and its head coach are ready to take the next step towards national respectability.

What makes this season stand apart from the last few years? It all begins on offense.

It starts with junior quarterback Joshua Dobbs. The Alpharetta native grabbed hold of the starting spot last season and finished the year with 1,206 passing yards and nine touchdowns. Dobbs also possesses an ability to scramble when the timing is right, shown in his team-high eight rushing touchdowns one year ago. He amazes writers and fans with his aerospace engineering major, but make no mistake about it: Dobbs is more than an intelligent athlete. He can perform at a level necessary to win.

Dobbs finds himself among some talented playmakers on offense. He shares the backfield with sophomore running back Jalen Hurd.. Hurd had a solid freshman campaign for the Volunteers in 2014 and finished the year with 899 yards and five touchdowns. He may prove to be the breakout back in the conference this year.

Tennessee has an abundance of talented wide receivers on its roster, including junior Marquez North. North had an injury-shortened sophomore season, reeling in 30 receptions but none after the Volunteers’s 34-20 loss to Alabama. If he comes back healthy, the trio of North, sophomore Josh Malone and senior Alton “Pig” Howard will cause defensive coordinators a lot of headaches.

The most underrated aspect of last year’s 7-6 season was the experience it gave to a raw offensive line. With no starters returning from 2013, the blocking one season ago was unreliable and cost the Volunteers several games. Four of the five starting linemen from 2014 return and will make or break how effective the offense is.

The Volunteers have plenty of experience on defense, but the key will be replacing linebacker A.J. Johnson. Johnson missed his final three games as a Volunteer due to suspension but left as the No. 2 all-time tackler in school history. With 101 tackles and a pair of sacks in his senior season, Johnson leaves a hard act to follow for junior Kenny Bynum. It is imperative Bynum play the position well.

While Johnson’s departure is noteworthy, the pass-rushing duo of sophomore defensive end Derek Barnett and senior linebacker Curt Maggitt may be able to fill the gap. Barnett and Maggitt combined for 21.0 sacks a as part of a defense ranked 36th in total defense last season. Missouri’s Maty Mauk stands as the most established opposing quarterback for the Volunteers this season, which means these two are in a perfect spot to grab the spotlight.

Jones faces the perfect storm this fall. South Carolina is coming off a bad season and faces a lot of questions about the program. Florida is breaking in a new head coach. Georgia is inexperienced at quarterback and plays the Volunteers at home one week after facing Alabama.

Tennessee fans had very little to cheer about in the last seven years, but the bricks appear in place for something special. It’s up to this year’s squad to realize that potential.