As we continue to dream of SEC football, we’ll look at each team and tell you who their best player is. Tennessee football is up next, and this is the first time the answer isn’t completely obvious.
Related Ole Miss Football: Who is the Rebel’s Best?
Related LSU Football: Who is the Tiger’s Best?
Related Georgia Football: Who is the Bulldog’s Best?
Each SEC football team has at least a few studs. Whether it be their middle linebacker, corner, wide receiver or quarterback, each fan base has those few guys they can point to and say “he’s that dude.” The question becomes, though, who is the best?
Tennessee football has been recruiting at an elite level since the arrival of Butch Jones. Having 3 straight elite classes leads to your team having a lot of talent. It also leads to your team having sky high expectations, especially playing in the weaker SEC East.
More from SEC Football
- SEC Football: Rattler, Cook, Mertz Rise in Week 4 QB Power Rankings
- 2023 Week 4 AP Poll Top 25: Every SEC team’s highest, lowest spot on ballot
- SEC Football: Florida, LSU rise in Week 4 2023 power rankings
- 4 SEC football picks to hammer and one to avoid in Week 3
- After down Week 2, Week 3 provides another opportunity for SEC football
Of all the talented players that call Knoxville home, though, which can call himself the best that Tennessee football has to offer? Is it the main running back in the two-headed monster of Jalen Hurd (main) and Alvin Kamara? Is it monster linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin (no, but I’m not telling him)? Or does the best Tennessee football player come from the defensive backfield, which includes Cameron Sutton and Evan Berry?
Any of these guys could be named the best Tennessee football has to offer, and there wouldn’t be too much noise. Instead, though, I’ll go with the dark horse Heisman quarterback Joshua Dobbs. While Dobbs may not actually be the best player on his own team, the Volunteers will not meet expectations without him performing well. I don’t think he’ll have much of an NFL career like some of the other guys I just mentioned. But as a college quarterback, he’ll make Tennessee football proud as their best.
Dobbs will have to improve his completion percentage if he wants a shot at the NFL. But while he is playing Tennessee football, his accuracy isn’t the most important thing. His ability to spearhead the rushing attack that includes Hurd, Kamara and himself is the most important thing. And he does that quite well.
must read: SEC Football: Impact Freshmen for the 2016 Season
Dobbs failed to complete 60% of his passes last year and finished with a hair over 2,200 yards according to sports-reference.com. Those numbers just aren’t good enough when he has been playing Tennessee football for three years. What he did do, though, was throw for 3 times as many touchdowns as he did interceptions (15:5). He needs to add to that number of touchdowns and keep the pics down. Dobbs also added nearly 700 yards on the ground to go with 11 rushing touchdowns. That diversity it what makes Joshua Dobbs the best Tennessee football has to offer.