Auburn Football: Pre-Spring SEC Quarterback Power Rankings

Nov 29, 2014; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Josh Dobbs (11) runs for a touchdown during the first half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, Tennessee quarterback Josh Dobbs didn’t even play in the team’s first seven games. The 6-foot-3, 203-pound Georgia native sat behind starter Justin Worley, and planned on redshirting.

However, with Worley injured, Vols head coach Buth Jones inserted Dobbs into the game against Alabama on October 25 and Dobbs responded with 192 passing yards and two touchdowns as well as 75 yards on the ground. The next week in his first start against South Carolina, Dobbs threw for 301 yards and two touchdowns and had 166 rushing yards and three more TDs.

He started the rest of the season and now enters 2015 as one of the best signal callers in the SEC and even among the favorites for the Heisman Trophy.

As a sophomore last year, Dobbs completed 112 of his 177 passing attempts (63.3%) for 1,206 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions. A dual threat, he had 469 rushing yards and eight TDs on the ground.

Dobbs will need to improve his decision making as a passer, but the sky’s the limit for him – literally. He’s an aerospace engineering major. Get it? (Don’t tell me you’ve already heard that joke).

With Dobbs firmly entrenched as the starter, the Vols lost Nathan Peterman to transfer, which leaves redshirt freshman Devin Smith and incoming freshmen Jauan Jennings and Quinten Dormady as the only QBs on the roster, so keeping Dobbs healthy is priority No. 1 for the Vols in 2015.

Next: 3. Missouri