On the eve of the start of their spring practice season, the Tennessee Volunteers are gearing up for what may be the most important season to the outlook of their program since the Phillip Fulmer era.

The Lane Kiffin debacle and the ensuing Derek Dooley regime are now mistakes buried in the past. The Butch Jones era is here to stay, and the roster is restocked with more talent than its had since the last time UT was widely considered an SEC title contender.

Now Tennessee appears to have found a transcendent star at quarterback in Joshua Dobbs, and that discovery comes at a perfect time, a time in which the SEC East is weaker than it has ever been since the conference split into two divisions in the early ’90s.

Simply put, it’s time for Tennessee to cash in on the last three years of growth. One of college football’s oldest powers, the team’s brief fall from the top tier of college football can no longer become excusable. The Kiffin disaster could have happened to any number of programs, and the years needed to rebuild the program from the ashes of Kiffin’s departure were granted to UT with understanding from most fans in the southeast.

But those years have come and gone. Tennessee used them well, attracting three straight top 25-ranked recruiting classes in the 247Sports industry composite rankings, including two straight classes ranked in the top 10 in the nation. The Vols have a trendy coach more capable of relating to his players than most, talent at virtually every position and a star quarterback who revived a 3-5 team to finish 4-1 at the end of last season.

That 4-1 run is proof that Tennessee has returned as one of the SEC’s elite, at least by the lowered standard set in the East division. As Tennessee begins spring practice on Tuesday, the goal will be to play like it did during that five-game stretch for an entire season, resulting in as many as 10 wins and an SEC East title.

So how can Tennessee go about doing that? There are three areas on which it must focus this spring:

  1. Continue molding Dobbs into an All-SEC-caliber quarterback as he learns Mike DeBord’s new system.
  2. Shore up the offensive line using added experience and a slew of touted incoming prospects.
  3. Find an answer at middle linebacker to solidify a talent-laden defense.

DeBord was hired as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator in early February after former OC Mike Bajakian jumped to the NFL, and although DeBord hasn’t coached at the college level since 2007, he has experience leading some rather potent offenses.

He was Michigan’s offensive coordinator in the mid-2000s, commanding the Wolverines offenses that were so productive with the help of players like Chad Henne, Mike Hart, Mario Manningham and others. He also served a prior stint as Michigan’s OC from 1997-99, during which time he coached a quarterback named Tom Brady who some of you may know for his NFL career in New England.

DeBord coached in the NFL from 2008-12 and is known to run a pro-style offense, which could fit UT’s personnel perfectly. Tennessee is mega-talented but remains incredibly young, and DeBord’s no-nonsense pro-style system will allow that talent to find their roles quickly to maximize the offense’s productivity.

The pro-style system is formulaic, meaning it can be complicated to learn but easy to execute once it’s understood. This is especially favorable for Dobbs, an aerospace engineering major with a course load so challenging many struggle to even recite the names of his classes. Dobbs is the epitome of a true student-athlete, and his intelligence should allow him to learn the offense quickly this spring both on the field and in the film room.

Dobbs has a strong arm, quick feet and a knack for reading opposing defenses. If he can grasp the complexities of the offense, he can execute it with ease.

And once he’s learned the system, the entire offense can click. Skill players know how they’ll be used. Dobbs and his linemen can work together to determine protection schemes. The quarterback can truly take command of the offense, allowing UT to operate at a high level on Saturdays should the players put in the work in the coming month.

The Vols must patch up their offensive line to bring all that to fruition, however. Tennessee allowed more sacks and tackles for loss than any other team in the SEC, and it was on its way to finishing in the bottom 10 percent of the FBS until the mobile Dobbs took over for Justin Worley.

UT returns four of its five starting offensive linemen from last season, but it’ll lose its best talent in right tackle Jacob Gilliam. Tennessee added four-star offensive tackles Drew Richmond and Jack Jones this winter (Jones is an early enrollee who will participate in spring ball), and between those two prospects and the offseason development of the rest of the linemen, Tennessee simply must be better up front in 2015.

Left tackle Kyler Kerbyson, left guard Marcus Jackson and center Mack Crowder are all entering their respective senior seasons, with the former two preparing for redshirt senior campaigns. There’s experience in place. But as Rocky Top Talk frames it, “in no place will progress be as meaningful as on the offensive line.”

DeBord’s roots as an offensive line coach at seven schools from 1982-96 should also help in the development of the line.

But while DeBord works his magic with the offense, it’s Tennessee’s defense that must ensure it holds up its end of the bargain come the fall. Derek Barnett is out for the spring, but is still expected to be one of the most feared defensive linemen in the SEC in 2015.

Fellow 2015 defensive line signees Kahlil McKenzie, Kyle Phillips, Shy Tuttle, Darrell Taylor and Andrew Butcher, all rated four stars or better, will also add explosive athleticism and depth to the front four. Factor in superb outside linebackers Curt Maggitt and Jalen Reeves-Maybin, the return of both starting safeties and an All-SEC cornerback candidate in Cam Sutton, and UT appears to be as complete on defense as it is on offense.

However, the only glaring hole on that side of the ball is middle linebacker. Dillon Bates is an outside linebacker by trade but is regarded as one of the smartest players on the team and as a player who could make the move inside. Unfortunately, injuries will limit his involvement in spring ball.

Four-star inside linebacker early enrollee Darrin Kirkland Jr. is another option to fill the void at that spot, but despite enrolling early his own injury troubles will keep him sidelined this spring.

It’s not necessarily a good thing that UT’s two best options at the position are both out this spring, but it’s not as bad as it seems. Both should be healthy for the fall, and in the meantime the Vols can build depth at their most vulnerable position, which also happens to be among the most important to the defense.

Kenny Bynum and Gavin Bryant are the players who stand to benefit from extra playing time until Kirkland and Bates return, and their development this spring will be arguably as vital as the offensive line’s.

While development is a word that’s uttered frequently when discussing Tennessee’s upcoming spring season, it will be replaced with the word “arrival” come the fall. Tennessee has been in its developmental stages for two years now, and now it has the perfect storm of talent and lack of competition in the East to make its return to the top of the SEC.

Instead of developing talent, UT is developing players to fill roles for a run at a title this fall. So while the Vols continue to develop into a contender, the hope is that they can finally arrive in 2015.