Tennessee sophomore wide receiver Marquez Callaway

The Tennessee football program has encouraged competition across the board since the first days Butch Jones arrived on campus from Cincinnati in 2012.

Solid recruiting classes stacked on top of each other — even with a few transfers and early NFL departures in the mix — have left the Vols in a better place overall than they’ve been in a while heading into spring camp.

(Want the latest scoop on Tennessee football and basketball? Make sure you're in the loop — take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Vols newsletter now!)

Are some positions thin? Absolutely. Some are very thin, and injuries can be blamed for that. That’s pretty typical in spring ball, though.

There still should be plenty of quality competition on the field when the Vols open practice next week.

(ENJOY VIP ACCESS TO GOVOLS247 WITH A FREE SEVEN-DAY TRIAL)

Here are five of the battles we’ll be watching very closely throughout spring camp and beyond.

———————————————

Contact Wes Rucker by email at wesrucker247@gmail.com or ON TWITTER, or FOLLOW GOVOLS247 ON FACEBOOK.