Joshua Dobbs enters his final season at Tennessee facing huge expectations. The Vols are favored by many to win the SEC East and could be a sleeper team in the College Football Playoff picture should they reach their full potential.
That scenario depends on whether Dobbs can provide as much of a threat passing as he does running. The junior was phenomenal out of the backfield in 2015 with 671 yards and 11 touchdowns on 146 rushing attempts. But he was less stellar throwing the football with an average of 176.2 yards per game.
It wasn’t that Dobbs was an awful passer rather seemed to be protected in an offensive scheme that limited downfield attempts. Many of Tennessee’s successful passing plays were on screens, check downs and short passes.
Dobbs averaged just 6.7 yards per passing attempt which ranked 10th in the SEC and was less than Florida’s Treon Harris, South Carolina’s Perry Orth and Georgia’ Greyson Lambert. Not exactly an elite class of passers to be in.
Dobbs had the tendency to take off and run which was usually successful but still made the Vols offense more predictable against the SEC’s best opposing defenses. For Tennessee to take a step into national relevance, Dobbs needs to prove that he’s a true dual-threat and not just great on option plays, which is a challenge he’s willing to take on in 2016.
“My job is to be the ‘CEO’ on the field,” Dobbs told Bleacher Report on Sunday while serving as a guest counselor during the Atlanta regional qualifying event for The Opening. “I hold myself to a high standard in how I play with my execution.”
“It’s a continuous improvement, but I hold myself and the whole offense to that high standard.”
Dobbs provides the perfect leader for Tennessee’s offense both on and off the field. His academic achievements — he’s an Aerospace Engineering major and can recite Pi to the 74th digit — have been heralded constantly and he has the ability to account for the majority of the Vols’ offensive production. But there needs to be an improvement in the deep passing attack in 2016 for Tennessee to be a legitimate threat as an SEC powerhouse.
It shouldn’t be difficult for Tennessee to develop its passing game. The Vols have signed several 4-star wide receiver prospects during Butch Jones’ tenure, which is why the lack of passing plays seems ridiculous. Even with the departures of Marquez North and Von Pearson, Tennessee still has Josh Malone, Preston Williams and Jauan Jennings, who ranked as a 4-star dual-threat quarterback before converting to wide receiver prior to his first season.
Malone — who Dobbs hosted during his recruitment — should finally get the reps necessary to be an elite SEC wide receiver in 2016. Williams, who showed glimpses of potential as a freshman, should also benefit from having an expanded role.
Tennessee coordinator Mike DeBord is also focused on making his offense more pass-heavy in 2016.
“We are adding wrinkles to the offense,” DeBord said after the Vols’ first spring practice. “So, we’ve already started that process. We will continue to do that in the spring. We’ve got to become a better football team offensively.”
Dobbs should continue his development going into his senior season. He will need to provide more of a downfield threat for the Vols to be a national contender in 2016.
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