Vols glow under SEC spotlight

The one thing missing was a ring.

A shot at an SEC Championship, a chance to put a title ring on his finger, and a return to cornerback brought Tennessee's pre-season All-American back to Knoxville for his senior season.

The NFL can wait. Allen felt the anticipation surrounding Vols' football. He welcomes the high expectations.

Tennessee enters the 2005 season a consensus top 10 pick, favored by some to play for a national championship at the Rose Bowl.

"We had a lot of potential last year, but I don't think we reached our full potential," Allen said of Tennessee's 10-3 season in 2004. "This year, you can't even compare our potential.

"We have 17 or 18 returning starters, and playing in the SEC, it's so important to have that experience."

Last season, it was Auburn steamrolling the SEC with an abundance of proven players. This year, it's Tennessee taking its graybeards and tested players into a rugged road schedule of Florida, LSU, Alabama and Notre Dame.

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer, making a return to media days after a one-year absence, left no doubt about his expectations.

His position-by-position analysis was a litany of rave reviews.

* About the offensive line: "I expect it to be as good as we have had at Tennessee," Fulmer said.

Junior tackle Arron Sears, junior guard and co-captain Rob Smith, senior guard Cody Douglas and senior tackle Albert Toeaina each drew praise. The only question is at center and the recovery of Richie Gandy from off-season knee surgery.

* About the quarterback tandem of sophomore Erik Ainge and senior Rick Clausen: "Last year at this time I couldn't begin to tell you who our quarterback would have been ... I don't know who our quarterback will be this year, but it will be a good one."

Fulmer continued to compare Ainge's skills and work ethic to a young Peyton Manning. He compared Clausen's rise from third-string backup to Cotton Bowl MVP as a "white knight" riding in to save the day.

* About running back Gerald Riggs: "We have a 1,000-yard rusher returning. It will be interesting to see if Gerald can carry that load and manage it from a maturity standpoint that he prepares himself well every week. I've seen a lot of growth in Gerald over the last year-and-a-half."

Riggs finds himself in the spotlight and on Heisman Trophy watch lists now that he's not sharing the running back load with departed Cedric Houston.

* About a receiving corps led by Robert Meachem, Chris Hannon, C.J. Fayton and Jayson Swain: "Our wide-receiver group as a whole should be one of the best in the league."

No superstars, but plenty of depth.

* About the defensive front anchored by All-American Jesse Mahelona, Justin Harrell, Parys Haralson and Turk McBride: "We were the youngest defensive line in the conference at the beginning of (last) year. They're all back. I expect big things from them."

* About linebackers and the secondary: "Our three linebackers will all be seniors. Kevin Simon is back and 100 percent. I'm expecting a huge year from Kevin. In the secondary, we'll be better at the beginning of this season than we were at any time last year because we'll be more athletic."

Omar Gaither and Jason Mitchell join Simon to form a strong corps of linebackers.

Roshaun Fellows, Jonathan Hefney, Antwan Stewart, Jonathan Wade and incoming freshman Demetrice Morley are all candidates to join Allen in the secondary.

Allen, the leading tackler in the SEC from his free safety position a year ago, returns to his preferred position of cornerback.

"I feel like after I moved to free safety last year, I have some unfinished business there," he said. "But I don't see myself as a cornerback or a free safety. I see myself as a football player capable of playing anywhere in the secondary."

It's all about the ring.