KNOXVILLE – The Times Free Press is taking a daily positional look at the Tennessee football team before the first day of preseason camp on Aug. 1. We begin with the quarterback position:
Guarantano’s team
Junior Jarrett Guarantano has had one full season as the starting quarterback for the Volunteers, yet the jury is still out on the 6-foot-4, 213-pounder. Supporters will point to the fact that while he threw for only 1,907 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2018, he spent much of his time on the field on his back, the result of a poor offensive line. They’ll point to advanced stats that paint Guarantano as a top-five quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. Detractors will point to that final measurement and suggest that he was so efficient because he didn’t take chances downfield in an offense that needed chances to be taken downfield. Those same people will say he contributed to his own on-field beating by opposing defenses by holding on to the ball too long. Either way, the Vols’ success in 2019 will be contingent on how much he progresses. He has a new offensive coordinator (Jim Chaney) and a new position coach (former quarterback and 2000 Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke). Now finally having some level of continuity in the system, Guarantano will have the opportunity to take the next step forward everyone is hoping for.
What’s new
It’s likely that a large portion of the preseason will be spent trying to develop a pair of freshman backups in redshirt J.T. Shrout and true freshman Brian Maurer, as any hopes for success if something happens to Guarantano will hinge on the abilities of whoever wins the backup job. Both showed some abilities during the spring game, but to suggest that’s a barometer for success is a flawed belief. Maurer did have some good moments that day by making some plays with his arm and his feet, but he also threw two interceptions against backups. Shrout had a solid day, nothing awe-inspiring but nothing detrimental. It’ll be interesting to see how that competition develops as camp wears on.