If you’ve been reading any reports about Tennessee football since the TaxSlayer Bowl you know that many are predicting the Vols to be a dark-horse challenger for the SEC East next season. Some have even predicted the Vols to win the division.

The Tennessee football program has been in hibernation over the last several years and finally jumped the proverbial hump and made a bowl game in 2014, for the first time in four seasons.

Think about that. One of the all-time great programs considers the season a success by making a bowl game. That was the reality of Tennessee football in 2014.

But thanks to Butch Jones, the program is on its way up. Everyone sees it, and athletic director Dave Hart isn’t afraid to gush about his head coach.

In an exclusive interview with the Times Free Press, Hart said he knows the trajectory of the program is on its way up with Jones at the helm.

“We’re beginning to build the depth now that it takes to compete for championships,” Hart told the paper. “I think everybody has a right to feel good about where we are. We’re on an upward trajectory. There’s no question in my mind about that.”

In fact, depth is beginning to be a reason why the Vols can win the division in 2015. Jones will put back-to-back top five classes together, and he finally has a quarterback in Joshua Dobbs to execute his offense and help overcome any personnel deficiencies along the offensive line.

“…Butch Jones is a phenomenal fit at the University of Tennessee. His work ethic is unparalleled. I’ve only been around a handful of coaches who have exhibited the work ethic that Butch exhibits, and they’re all championship-level coaches.

“There’s a correlation there. I think Butch is not only an outstanding recruiter, but he enjoys the recruiting process. He recruits 24-7. That’s always on his mind. All you have to do is walk into the conference room down there, and most of the time he’s in there staring at the recruiting board.

“He’s done a great job, he’s assembled a quality staff and everybody’s moving in the same direction with a whole lot of energy.”

The lifeblood of any program is certainly recruiting. Ask Urban Meyer or Nick Saban. And now, Butch Jones is funneling some of the most talented high school prospects in the country to Tennessee.

The biggest reason Hart and Tennessee fans love Jones is because he views the UT job as a destination job, not merely a stepping stone to another elite program. Tennessee is an elite program, and Jones is on his way to becoming an elite recruiter and elite coach in college football’s toughest conference.