5 burning questions for Tennessee football entering preseason practice

Tennessee's encore to an 11-2 season begins to take shape Wednesday, when preseason workouts begin.

"It’s the best time of year," coach Josh Heupel said. "Excited to open up training camp."

Does Tennessee have the pieces to repeat 11 wins? That's a tall order, but a third straight bowl appearance should be in store, and the Vols are well-positioned to stay No. 2 in the SEC East pecking order, behind Georgia.

Heupel is ready to put last season behind him.

"You got to reset and go earn it every single day," he said. "So, we have a real sense of urgency inside of our program."

On this edition of "The Volunteer State," Blake Toppmeyer of the USA TODAY Network and the News Sentinel's Adam Sparks and John Adams highlight five burning questions to monitor this preseason.

From offensive line to linebackers, they dissect some position battles that will play out throughout this month.

Here are key topics to monitor:

Who will be Joe Milton’s three starting wide receivers for the season opener? 

The best bet is that Tennessee's top three receivers from the Orange Bowl will claim the spots. That's Bru McCoy, Squirrel White and Ramel Keyton.

Next up in the cue is Oregon transfer Dont’e Thornton.

Will offensive line go from strength to liability?

Tennessee's offensive line was overshadowed by Hendon Hooker's brilliance last season, but the big fellas up front played no small part in the Vols leading the nation in offense.

But, Tennessee must replace starting tackle Darnell Wright and guard Jerome Carvin. Wright, in particular, was an important paver.

Returning tackle Gerald Mincey must develop, and Miami transfer tackle John Campbell is a key newcomer. As for replacing Carvin at left guard ... stay tuned.

The line is a work in progress, but that doesn't mean it will be a liability. Heupel and his longtime offensive line coach, Glen Elarbee, have a good track record for pumping out sturdy lines.

Can a pass rusher be developed quickly to replace Byron Young?

The snort answer is, probably not -- at least not to Young's caliber.

Roman Harrison is a veteran who could step into a bigger role, while younger options include Joshua Josephs, James Pearce and Caleb Herring.

Which newcomer on offense will position himself to be a breakout player?

The Vols added several Power Five transfers, but an FCS tight end is positioned to make arguably the biggest splash. McCallan Castles starred for UC-Davis after beginning his career at California. At 6-foot-5, 233 pounds, he's a big, athletic target who can fill the role of the departed Princeton Fant.

Which newcomer on defense will position himself to be a breakout player?

His teammates joke that he's "Grandpa," but 25-year-old Keenan Pili, a transfer from BYU, becomes an important cog in UT's linebacking corps. He's battle-tested, and the Vols need a linebacker after the exit of Jeremy Banks. Insert Pili.