Tennessee concluded spring football practices on Saturday with its annual Chevrolet Orange & White Game at Neyland Stadium.
Following the contest, first-year head coach Josh Heupel discussed Tennessee’s quarterback unit that consists of senior Hendon Hooker, sophomore Harrison Bailey and redshirt sophomore Brian Maurer competing for the starting position this spring.
Bailey went 12-for-15 for 261 passing yards and touchdowns in the spring game.
Maurer was 9-for-15, 171 passing yards and two touchdowns, while Hooker was 10-for-14 for 111 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception. Warren Burrell intercepted Hooker and returned it for a touchdown.
“They’ve come a long ways in the last 14 days, leading up to today,” Heupel said of the quarterback unit. “I think if you break spring ball up into thirds, every five practices, you’ve seen exponential growth from all of them. In their command of what we’re doing, ability to get signals and get lined up. Get their eyes, feet in the right place, be accurate with the football.
“I think the last three or four practices have been all of their best practices. I thought they played really efficient today. There were a couple times we needed to get rid of the ball maybe a little bit quicker, if they’re in a real, live situation. I think some of that is tough to judge when you know you’re not live, as well, but did a really good job of taking care of the football besides the one pick where Burrell makes a great break on the football and turns it into six points – a momentum changing play right there. Proud of what each of them have done this spring. I thought they all operated well today. They all had great composure out there.”
The NCAA transfer portal has been a staple throughout college football in terms of student-athletes departing and arriving on different school’s rosters.
Following the Orange & White Game, Heupel discussed if he expects player movement on Tennessee’s roster with the quarterback unit ahead of the 2021 season.
“I think the quarterback position, along with every position on your roster, with the transfer portal and where we’re at, you have the opportunity to continue to add guys into your program as you get toward the end of the semester and lead into May, before guys are back working out, when you start summer workouts,” Heupel said.
Whether Tennessee has attrition with its current quarterbacks or when UT officially announces Michigan transfer signal-caller Joe Milton, who is listed in the student directory currently, Heupel said the battle to name a starter is “wide open.”
“I’ve been through enough quarterback battles as a player or a coach to know that there’s so much time as you leave spring ball,” Heupel said. “We’ve had 15 practices. We’re going to have a lot more than that when we get to training camp, but they get a chance to sit back now and digest everything that’s gone on this spring. Get a chance to go through some installs this summer. They get a chance to coach it, own it, a little bit on their own. They get a chance to learn from the mistakes. They have an opportunity to come back a much better and different football player by the time they get to training camp.
“You allow your players to grow through this offseason. I think that’s important at the quarterback position, but it’s true everywhere. You have to judge players for who they are today, not where they were yesterday. You have to give kids an opportunity to make that movement during the June and July process.”
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