Derek Dooley knew he had -- and still has -- much work to do to bring the Volunteers back to being a legitimate contender for the Southeastern Conference title.

Recruiting experts think he got a good portion of that work done with this year's recruiting class, a consensus top 15 group nationally that features six four-star guys across the board and nine others who earned at least one four-star rating.

As one would expect, the 27-man class was especially rich in linemen. Five O-linemen and four D-linemen should help replenish a depth-shy spot on the team and a handful could play right away.

Every position on the field was filled, except for kicker, a spot at which at least one walk-on will appear to challenge sophomore Michael Palardy in preseason.

Among the most impressive things with this class was that Tennessee locked up virtually every good player in its state, signing seven. That's something it hasn't successfully done in recent years as coaching staffs have changed and depth has withered.

Add to that a promising young nucleus led by sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray, a gunslinger in the Brett Favre mold who won four straight starts in November to get an under-talented team to a bowl game, and you have some real excitement in Knoxville.

Last year, when Dooley hung on to most of Lane Kiffin's recruiting class and added a few pieces, he tried to temper excitement. Not this year. He knows he's building something with a real foundation.

TOP OF THE CLASS

WR DeAnthony Arnett (Saginaw High, Saginaw, Mich.) -- A consensus four-star recruit, Arnett averaged about 20 yards per catch and scored 29 all-purpose TDs the last two seasons. With seniors Denarius Moore and Gerald Jones graduating, Arnett has a chance to threaten the likes of Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers for instant playing time if he can play well in August.

LB A.J. Johnson (Gainesville High, Gainesville, Ga.) -- Possessing classic middle linebacker size at 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, Johnson could be the one to replace Nick Reveiz or at least get some backup snaps as a freshman. Johnson posted an absurd 173 tackles, including 29 for loss, as a high school senior.

OL Antonio Richardson (Pearl-Cohn High, Nashville, Tenn.) -- Arguably the top recruit in this year's class, Richardson is the kind of road-grading stud this program can build its line around. Although the O-line returns most of its starters, it would be a surprise if Richardson didn't figure into the picture somewhere because of his pure physical skill.

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