The end of Tennessee’s fall camp is right around the corner, with UT set to start hitting non-teammates on Sept. 5 against Bowling Green at Nissan Stadium in Nashville.

Here are five things we have learned about the Vols (or in one case their opponent) since fall camp started:

1. Offensive line loses two.
The offensive line was a weakness last season but that’s what happens when you play so many young guys. The most experienced returnee up front was fifth-year senior offensive guard Marcus Jackson, but he has been lost for the season as has redshirt sophomore backup guard Austin Sanders. Both suffered biceps injuries while extending their arms during blocking drills. Sophomore guard Jashon Robertson has asked to wear No. 75 to honor Jackson following Jackson’s injury. Sophomore Brett Kendrick is moving from tackle to fill Jackson’s spot. The 6-foot-6, 318-pound Kendrick played in all 13 games last season at tackle and started twice.

2. Next nickelback up.
UT’s projected starting nickel back — the Vols often play a 4-2-5 scheme — was to be sophomore Rashaan Gaulden, but the 6-foot-1, 178-pounder has been lost for the season as well after suffering a foot fracture last Thursday. Gaulden played primarily on special teams in 11 games last season. He has been listed as Tennessee’s first-team nickel cornerback since spring practice. Justin Coleman manned that spot in 2014. UT’s likely move will be to slide star corner Cameron Sutton inside when the Vols go with at least three defensive backs. Sutton, by the way, has gotten the OK to wear Gaulden’s No. 7 this season. Justin Martin or Malik Foreman would take Sutton’s spot outside opposite Emmanuel Moseley if that’s the route UT goes. Or the team could use freshman Micah Abernathy at the nickel.

3. Preseason accolades seem to say program is on the rise.
The preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll came out over the weekend and Tennessee was ranked 25th in it, the same as it was in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. The Volunteers last appeared in the AP poll on Sept. 12, 2012, when they were No. 23. It’s UT’s first appearance in the preseason AP poll since the 2008 season. That year, Tennessee began the year in the No. 18 spot. The club vastly underachieved in finishing 5-7. It marked the end of the Phil Fulmer era. The season opener against Mid-American Conference school Bowling Green will be the first time also since ’08 that the Vols will take the field while ranked simultaneously in both major polls. Currently there are five AP ranked teams on UT’s schedule: No. 19 Oklahoma, No. 18 Arkansas, No. 9 Georgia, No. 3 Alabama and No. 24 Missouri. Speaking of Oklahoma …

4. Tennessee learns which Sooners quarterback it will face on Sept. 12.
Let’s be honest here: Tennessee isn’t really worried about beating Bowling Green in the opener. It’s a solid program in the MAC, but it shouldn’t be a close game. Tennessee is a 21-point favorite. I’d be willing to wager that Vols coach Butch Jones already has installed some game plan situations — not that he’d ever admit that — for the Week 2 game against No. 19 Oklahoma. And now the UT coaches know which quarterback they will be facing that day. Texas Tech transfer Baker Mayfield beat out last year’s OU starter, Trevor Knight, for the No. 1 job, which was made official over the weekend. Mayfield was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2013 when he passed for 2,315 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Red Raiders. He had to sit out last season. The Sooners are going to run an up-tempo, spread scheme implemented by first-year offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley.

5. We already may know Joshua Dobbs’ replacement.
It won’t affect Tennessee this season, but the school got great news on Sunday when top quarterback recruit Hunter Johnson from Brownsburg High School in Indiana verbally committed for the Class of 2017. Tennessee was first to offer the 6-foot-3, 197-pound Johnson in July 2014. He is rated as the No. 1 pro-style quarterback in the class by the 247Sports composite and the No. 4 pocket passer in the country by ESPN. Johnson chose Tennessee over offers from Florida, Michigan, Miami, Kentucky, Indiana, Penn State, Notre Dame and others. Landing such a touted quarterback recruit can only help lure other top players for that class. You can’t pencil in Johnson as the 2017 starter quite yet, however. He will likely have to battle Jarrett Guarantano, a 2016 commitment, Sheriron Jones and Quinten Dormady, who is currently Dobbs’ backup.