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KNOXVILLE — After a six-game winning streak capped off by an improbable comeback win over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Tennessee finished the 2019 season at 8-5, something that seemed unthinkable after an 0-2 start with losses to Georgia State and BYU.
Since that Gator Bowl victory and the turn of the new year, the news cycle has been kind to Tennessee. Suddenly, with the news of Trey Smith returning and Cade Mays’ transfer, the Vols are primed to have one of the most talented offensive lines in the SEC in 2020 along with multiple key contributors returning on both sides of the ball.
There are few things slowing down the hype train that will carry into Jeremy Pruitt’s third season at the helm in Knoxville. There is one question, however, that could derail that train and leave fans with doubts going into 2020.
Who gets the start at quarterback for Tennessee?
Much-maligned upcoming redshirt senior Jarrett Guarantano announced on his Twitter account Tuesday night that he will return for his final year of eligibility, slamming the door shut on rumors of his transfer.
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Guarantano’s announcement leaves Tennessee with five scholarship quarterbacks heading into spring ball.
Also returning are sophomore Brian Maurer, redshirt sophomore JT Shrout, redshirt sophomore Maryland transfer Kasim Hill, and freshman early-enrollee Harrison Bailey.
While many Tennessee fans already have their sights set on Bailey, a blue-chip recruit out of Marietta, Ga., taking over the reigns immediately, that scenario is far from certain. While it is possible Bailey comes in and takes command of the job, make no mistake. As of right now, this is Jarrett Guarantano’s team.
Dubbed the sixth man by his teammates, Guarantano’s poor play at the early onset of the season was a huge reason for the Vols’ miserable start, but he battled back from being benched and led Tennessee down the stretch, throwing for 1,247 yards and eight touchdowns with four interceptions in the last six games. While those numbers don’t jump off the page, they were, however, instrumental in Tennessee’s turnaround.
It seems as though Guarantano plays his best when doubts about his ability are at their highest. Going into Pruitt’s first season in 2018, there hardly seemed to be any separation between Guarantano and Keller Chryst in the quarterback battle. Guarantano ultimately won the job and played well, despite spending most of the season on his back behind a porous offensive line.
To start 2019, Guarantano was Tennessee’s unquestioned starter. Pruitt publicly backed him all offseason, going as far as calling him the only starter penciled in before the season-opener against Georgia State.
Then the season started, and Tennessee’s quarterback looked like a deer in the headlights, throwing four interceptions and taking seven sacks in the first four games, prompting a benching for true freshman Brian Maurer.
While Maurer did provide a spark, he was unable to stay on the field with multiple concussions, and Guarantano was forced back into the lineup, playing well enough to help Tennessee to a 7-1 finish to the season.
Even in the Gator Bowl, which appeared to be a microcosm of Tennessee’s season, Guarantano faced a rough start, including a pick six early in the second half. Benched for one series, he came back in and made the throws he needed to make down the stretch to allow Tennessee to win, 23-22.
In the upcoming offseason, Guarantano will not only be in the same offensive system for consecutive seasons for the first time in his career, but he will have four different players competing to take his starting job.
Brian Maurer appeared in eight games for Tennessee, and threw for 541 yards, two touchdowns and five interceptions. JT Shrout was instrumental in the win over South Carolina, coming in for the injured Guarantano and going 7 for 11 with 122 yards and a touchdown on a beautifully-thrown deep ball to Marquez Callaway.
Harrison Bailey comes in as the promising freshman, rated the No. 4 pro-style quarterback by the 247 Sports Composite, fresh off of leading his Marietta High School team to a 7A Georgia state title.
Finally, Maryland transfer Kasim Hill enters the offseason as the unknown wild card of the group. A former four-star recruit, Hill passed for 1,083 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions in ten games for Maryland in 2018, and sat 2019 out at Tennessee as an ineligible transfer, primarily serving as a scout team quarterback for the Vols.
It’s hard to envision all five players still being on Tennessee’s roster by the end of the season, and we may not even know the starter until the Vols take the field to open the season against Charlotte on Sept. 5.
As of this moment, Guarantano is Tennessee’s starting quarterback. If he is still the starter in September, it will not be due to a lack of options. It will be because he gives the Vols the best chance to win.
In the words of Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt: “One thing I figured out a long time ago, you better keep signing quarterbacks until you got one.
“Because if you don’t have one, it’s going to be hard to win a game.”
