The SEC East is full of intrigue and questions. Tennessee is one of the most intriguing teams of the bunch. Butch Jones is building a winner and progress was evident last season when the Vols went 7-6 and thumped Iowa in the TaxSlayer Bowl. It’s not where they want to be, but it was a step in the right direction.

This season figures to be another step forward for the Volunteers. How big? That remains to be seen. But enough excitement exists -- and the SEC East seems wide open enough -- that it’s worth asking: Can Tennessee win the SEC East in 2015?

In our tour around the SEC examining each team’s future (the full series is here), we supply reasons why they will -- or won't -- get it done.

Why Tennessee will win the SEC East:

Joshua Dobbs: He made only five starts but he has the look of a potential star. He was 4-1 as a starter last season and showed off his array of skills -- from his dual-threat ability to his grit and determination. With an offseason of first-team reps under his belt, his progression should take significant leaps forward. Ask Vols coach Butch Jones or anyone around the program about Dobbs and the words are glowing -- both on and off the field. His confidence is high -- as is the team’s in him -- and he appears to be developing into the type of leader quality teams need. There aren't a ton of returning starting quarterbacks in the SEC. Tennessee is fortunate to have one in Dobbs.

Defensive stars: Tennessee possesses several stars on the defensive side of the ball, especially in its pass rush. Up front there is sophomore defensive end Derek Barnett, who was one of two players to break Jadeveon Clowney’s SEC freshman sack record (Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett was the other). Barnett finished with 10 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss. Senior linebacker Curt Maggitt (11 sacks) recorded a sack in each of his last five regular-season games of 2014 and finished third in the SEC with his total. In the secondary, junior cornerback Cam Sutton has been reliable, starting all 25 games of his career so far and had an impressive 16 passes defended in 2014. He’s a physical player but also has excellent cover skills. Add that to the fact that the Vols have numerous returnees on their defensive line and you have the foundation of what should be a good Tennessee defense in 2015.

Balanced backfield: After a good freshman season, Jalen Hurd is back for his sophomore campaign, looking to build on his 899 rushing yards, 221 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns. Expect him to continue to be the feature back after 190 carries last season and the potential for a strong sophomore season is there. Now, he’s paired up with former Alabama running back Alvin Kamara, whom the Vols signed from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College in their 2015 recruiting class (Kamara was the No. 2 overall player in the 2015 ESPN JC 50. He’s a quick back who should be a good complement to Hurd and give Tennessee a dynamic backfield duo. That’s not to mention the talented receivers Dobbs has at his disposal and the experience returning on the offensive line (losing only two lettermen up front and returning 13).

Why Tennessee won’t win the SEC East:

Youth: This is still a young team. The Vols played 23 true freshmen last season, more than any FBS program nationally. Yes, those players now have game experience under their belts, which helps, but it’s not much. There is no replacement for experience and even Dobbs is relatively inexperienced, not having started a full season even though he has appeared in 11 games in his career (six last year, five in 2013). It’s part of the deal when you’re rebuilding a program and stocking it with talent -- many of the best players are going to be the youngest ones, and it makes sense to play the best players. With another top-five recruiting class in the boat, there will certainly be freshmen seeing the field again this season, which has its pros and cons.

Midseason schedule stretch: Being in the SEC means you’ll have a tough schedule but for a young team that’s still building depth (though Butch Jones has notably done a fantastic job recruiting since arriving on campus), those stretches that bring tough team after tough team are especially taxing. See: Sept. 26-Oct. 24 for Tennessee. That stretch begins with a road game at Florida, which, while not an elite team, is still one the Vols haven’t beat since 2004. If they get over that hump, the next three games bring Arkansas and Georgia to Knoxville in back-to-back weeks followed by a road game at Alabama. Can the Vols go 3-1 in that stretch? That’s probably what it’ll take for Tennessee to put itself in the best position in the division heading into the season’s final five games, which aren’t nearly as daunting as this quartet.