Last year, Tennessee’s offensive line was very much a work in progress.

All five players on the line were in their first season as a starter. One, Jashon Robertson, was a true freshman who came in as a defensive tackle and ended up starting all 13 games at guard. The lone senior on the line, Jacob Gilliam, played half the season on a torn ACL.

All that inexperience showed. In just about every statistical category you can measure an offensive line’s success with, the Volunteers struggled. They allowed the most sacks in the SEC and their ball carriers had the second-lowest yards-per-carry average in the conference. Digging deeper, the Vols were near the bottom of the country in Football Outsiders‘ power success rate, a measure of how well they converted third- or fourth-and-short, and were nearly as bad as stuff rate, measuring how frequently a ball carrier was stopped at or behind the line of scrimmage.

This spring, the Volunteers have reason for optimism. Those four returning starters all have a year of experience under their belts now. They have the chemistry and consistency an offensive line needs to dominate up front.

All those incumbents will have their hands full trying to hold onto their roles. Tennessee is bringing in a cavalry of offensive linemen. In total, five freshmen will join the team along the offensive line. Two of them, tackles Jack Jones and Chance Hall, are already on campus. Unfortunately, Hall is one of the many Vols stuck going through limited reps this spring.

“The new guys that have come in are very talented,” rising sophomore Coleman Thomas told the UT Daily Beacon. “I can’t wait to see them on Saturday when we get some pads on. That’s the beauty of the beast, there’s guys coming in that can play like that and get you competition ready for Saturdays.”

Jones and Hall are set to be joined by touted tackle Drew Richmond this fall, as well as Venzell Boulware and Zach Stewart. All five should find themselves with an opportunity to earn playing time this fall. With the way the line performed last season, there’s no reason for Jones to show undying loyalty to last year’s group. If the freshmen prove they’re ready to play, Jones will get them on the field. If the incumbents show they’ve taken a step forward, or if JUCO transfer Dontavius Blair shows he belongs on the field, the newcomers will have to watch, learn and wait their turn.

The increased competition and the cohesion built from last year’s rough season will serve to benefit the Vols in 2015. Heading into Year 2 of the Joshua Dobbs-Jalen Hurd era, while adding in top JUCO running back Alvin Kamara, Tennessee has the tools to take a leap forward on offense.

To do that, the Vols will need the offensive line to take down the “Under Construction” sign it had up last year and flip on the “Open For Business” light in its place.