If one were to rate Tennessee’s four main components on offense and defense entering the 2015 season, it may look something like this:

  1. Pass defense
  2. Run offense
  3. Run defense
  4. Pass offense

Yes, “CEO quarterback” Joshua Dobbs is a potential superhero in Knoxville. The hard-working, responsible genius, sans eyebrows, is one of the most interesting players in the SEC this season.

He sparked Tennessee’s offense last year in a way that Justin Worley and Nathan Peterman never could.

It’s easy to assume that the Vols passing game will do wonders in 2015, especially if you’re wearing orange-colored glasses or sometimes hum Rocky Top in your sleep. But that’s far from a guarantee.

“We have good days; we have poor days,” coach Butch Jones said of the team’s pass offense during spring practice, according to the Times Free Press. “When we throw the football, we have to be consistent, and a lot goes into it. … I think some of it has been our depth at receiver, but we have to get a lot better in a hurry in the throw game.”

Dobbs has proven to be a great leader, and he seems to have good rapport with new offensive coordinator Mike DeBord. He’s dynamic as a runner, a vital element that propped up the team’s lackluster offensive line near the end of last season.

The quarterback still must prove he can read defenses well enough to improve his TD/INT ratio (currently 11/12). He seems capable, mentally and physically, but that’s one of the most difficult tasks of high-level football. Becoming proficient at making the right reads and decisions every play with pressure in your face is hard.

Speaking of pressure, the interior of Tennessee’s line is entrenched and should get better, but the tackles are more unsettled. The Vols allowed an SEC-worst 43 sacks last season, and any instability there will make major improvement in the passing game difficult.

At receiver, Von Pearson remains indefinitely suspended after being named as a suspect in a rape investigation, although he hasn’t been charged. Marquez North is a potential first-round NFL talent, but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy during his college career.

Tennessee is very deep at the position, and if Pearson, North and senior Pig Howard somehow all get onto the field at once, the Vols even have an argument for best receiving corps in the SEC. But that’s far from a certainty, and the team was plagued by inconsistency and injury at the position last fall.

It’s possible that all those elements come together and the Vols see significant improvement through the air, becoming one of the most prolific offenses in the SEC. (Dobbs, Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara almost certainly will improve the team’s production running the ball.)

But there are a lot of question marks surrounding Tennessee’s passing game. And “alarming” is too strong of a label, but based on several accounts from Jones, the unit didn’t seem to pass the ball effectively during spring practice.

Entering the fall, one of Tennessee’s top priorities is to smooth out the edges in the passing game. If the Vols succeed, the team could contend for an SEC East championship, and beyond, earlier than expected.