HOOVER, Ala. — Josh Dobbs refutes college football analyst Rick Neuheisel’s opinion that the quarterback position has been ‘dumbed down’ during the age of run-heavy, tempo-oriented spread offenses.

Tennessee’s junior quarterback, who emerged as one of college football’s top dual-threat playmakers down the stretch last fall, says the position has evolved to better combat complex schemes defensively but when you break it down to its fundamental level, the game hasn’t changed.

“The game has definitely changed from how it was played in the past,” Dobbs said at SEC Media Days in Hoover. “You go from under center to shotgun, but at the end of the day, it’s still football. We’re still running the same themes, running the same defenses and making he same reads and adjustments at the line of scrimmage.

“You just have less time to do it because we’re moving faster.”

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Over his final five starts as a sophomore, Dobbs led the Vols to four wins and accounted for 1,408 yards of total offense. Eight of his 15 total touchdowns during that stretch came on the ground.

“Football is still a very cerebral game,” Dobbs said. “We still run pro-style schemes. It’s definitely still a position where you have to know what everybody on the field is doing at all times.”

Perceived as a preseason contender in a top-heavy division, Tennessee’s expectations are lofty and as the starting quarterback, Dobbs says it’s up to him to ensure this ship clears the necessary hurdles to compete for a spot in the league title game for the first time in eight years.

“For me, and as a team, you’re going to see a team that’s motivated and driven to win,” Dobbs said. “We’re excited about this upcoming season. We’re ready to go come September.”