Spring Primer: Crowded QB room will be focal point of competition

There is perhaps no position group more crowded on the Tennessee roster than the Quarterback spot. Tennessee enters spring practice with Jarrett Guarantano,

There is perhaps no position group more crowded on the Tennessee roster than the Quarterback spot. Tennessee enters spring practice with Jarrett Guarantano, Brian Maurer, JT Shrout, Kasim Hill, Harrison Bailey, and Jimmy Holiday each trying to make their mark in the quarterback competition. There was perhaps no position that the 2019 Vols had more inconsistent play from than that of Quarterback. At times, Tennessee signal callers had flashes of brilliance, but far too often, they were marred by inaccurate throws, poor reads, and red zone turnovers. Finding an answer at Quarterback is likely the most important question Tennessee has to answer before the 2020 season opens against Charlotte in Neyland Stadium. Here, our staff chimes in with their thoughts on which signal-caller will start for the Vols.

Brandon: For me, the answer to this has been clear for months. This is Harrison Bailey's job to lose. Incumbent Jarrett Guarantano had some nice moments coming in as a reliever quarterback off the bench at times last season, but his inconsistent and too often poor play earned him a spot on the bench and allowed games to be close that should have been finished early. The offense that Jim Chaney will call in 2020 has been tailored to fit Bailey's skillset. The Vols have an offensive line in place that can allow for a balanced attack whether Bailey is under center or in the gun. They are capable of holding up on the five and seven-step drops that Chaney will want to call to utilize Bailey's enormous arm strength.

Beyond just having a big arm, Bailey ran a pro-style offense against extremely high-level competition at Marietta. Enrolling early gives him a chance to learn Tennessee's playbook, and also means he will go through spring camp and play in the Orange and White game. Bailey has the physical and mental tools to come into this offense immediately. It also makes sense from the development of the team's point of view. If Guarantano and Bailey are close in practice, for the long term growth of the team, it makes more sense to start the true freshman instead of the fifth-year senior. Bailey will make some freshman mistakes, but it would be a shock if he wasn't the starter when the Vols open the season against the 49ers.

Matt: The quarterback room is loaded with talent, and there will be a legitimate competition that should wage on through fall camp. Jarrett Guarantano showed glimpses, but just that, of being a quarterback that can elevate the Vols passing game. He struggled with one of the most complete receiving corps in the conference last year, which is still very worrisome.

Tennessee will regroup offensively at the receiver position, which will add a different element to the quarterback competition. Each guy will have to find connections with their receivers, and timing could be an issue early on. JT Shrout, Brian Maurer, and Jarrett Guarantano all started and helped Tennessee win games last season, however, Harrison Bailey will be one of the major focal points.

Maurer is the wild card in the race. His energy helped elevate this team in a big way, when they could have crumbled at the mid-point of the season. Maurer's fiery play is easy to love, but he still had his fair share of freshmen mistakes, and he had trouble staying healthy. This spring will be key for him, if he wants to take the next step at Tennessee.

Bailey is already throwing the ball well, and he will continue to do so. However, in a world that is geared towards freshmen quarterbacks making a splash right away, it will come down to how quickly Tennessee feels that Bailey knows the playbook, and when they are comfortable passing that torch.

One of the recruiting pitches made to Bailey was that there was no plan to redshirt him and that he would get every opportunity to play. Bailey is a known 'gym rat and film junkie' so he will put in the work, and could very well be the starter at some point this season. I believe it will be earlier than most, but only time will tell if I am right. Bailey is the most naturally talented passer on the roster which makes this very interesting. I will ride with Bailey as QB1, but we will see how he is handled heading into the fall.

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