As one of Florida’s most bitter rivals, the Tennessee Volunteers are often not highly-thought of by the Orange and Blue faithful. The Vols have fallen on some hard times over the last several years and haven’t had much success against the Gators, losing nine consecutive games.

However, Tennessee appears to be heading in the right direction under the coaching of Butch Jones. Saturday’s contest will be a tough one for Florida since the Vols are much improved and now boast several talented players at multiple positions.

Here are the five Tennessee players every Florida fan should know before the two SEC East rivals kick it off on Saturday.

  1. RB Jalen Hurd – If you don’t know Jalen Hurd by now, chances are you will by the end of Saturday’s game. He’s perhaps Tennessee’s most dangerous player and he’s only a true freshman. The Vols’ feature running back has steadily been progressing since making his collegiate debut earlier this season. Hurd is coming off of his first 100-yard performance against Georgia last week and is starting to look like the real deal. He’s a big running back at 6-foot-3, 223-pounds and he runs with a lot of power and confidence. Despite what Jarrad Davis seems to think, the Gators’ defense will have their hands full in stopping this budding young superstar.
  2. WR Von Pearson – A JUCO transfer for the Vols’ this season, Von Pearson is looked at as a poor man’s Cordarrelle Patterson. He may not be as talented as Patterson, but Pearson is still a dangerous weapon for Tennessee. Pearson hasn’t played since suffering a high ankle sprain on Sept. 6 against Arkansas State, but the playmaking wideout practiced for the first time earlier this week. It’s uncertain if he’ll play on Saturday, but he does, he’ll become a top priority for Florida’s defense. It’ll be interesting to see how or if the Gators’ can contain him considering Vernon Hargreaves will likely be covering Tennessee’s other dangerous wide receiver in Marquez North.
  3. DB Cameron Sutton – Linebacker AJ Johnson usually receives all of the attention on Tennessee’s defense – and rightly so. However, defensive back Cameron Sutton is another name for Florida fans to be aware of. As a freshman last season, Sutton was an All-SEC selection. A 6-foot-1, 190-pounds, Sutton is a taller cornerback who will create some problems for Florida’s receivers. He’s shown great ball skills in his sophomore season, leading the team with two interceptions and is fifth on the team with 19 total tackles. Once Johnson leaves after this season, Sutton is likely Tennessee’s next defensive star.
  4. LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin – Alongside AJ Johnson in the Tennessee linebacker corps is sophomore Jalen Reeves-Maybin. The sophomore standout is second on the team with 35 total tackles, but has particularly been a menace in opposing backfields. Reeves-Maybin leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and is tied for the team lead with two sacks. He recently made a relatively good Georgia offensive line look silly last week, racking up one sack and 3.5 tackles for loss against the Bulldogs. You can bet Florida’s offensive line will be tested immensely by the talented Tennessee linebacker.
  5. QB Justin Worley – Perhaps the player that’s improved the most for the Vols since last season is senior quarterback Justin Worley. If not for an injury that kept him out for significant minutes against Georgia last week, it’s likely Worley’s performance would have upset the Bulldogs in Athens. With 985 passing yards and nine touchdowns, Worley is showcasing a much stronger arm in 2014 and the emergence of several playmakers at wide receiver doesn’t hurt either. Because of Florida’s recent secondary issues, there’s certainly an opportunity for Worley to have a big game against another SEC East rival.