KNOXVILLE – Jeremy Pruitt told reporters at Southeastern Conference Media Days last week that the Volunteers’ quarterback competition will be a four-man race.
At least one betting agency is not buying that.
Legal sports gambling has not made its way to Tennessee yet, but BetDSI Sportsbook released odds for Tennessee’s quarterback battle this week that suggest Stanford graduate transfer Keller Chryst is the favorite for the job.
The agency gave Chryst nearly two-to-one odds to start at quarterback over redshirt sophomore Jarrett Guarantano. Sophomore Will McBride was given longshot odds, while freshman J.T. Shrout was not listed at all.
“It’s going to be important for us to whittle it down as soon as we possibly can,” Pruitt said. “But all four guys will certainly get a shot to start with.”
Tennessee will have three weeks of preseason practice, starting on August 3, to evaluate the competition before it enters game week preparation for the season opener against West Virginia. Though Pruitt wants to “whittle” the competition down quickly, he suggested during the spring that the final decision on a starting quarterback may not be made until after the season begins.
Chryst went 11-2 as a starter in 2016 and 2017 at Stanford before losing the job midway through last season and choosing to leave as a graduate transfer. He was not guaranteed playing time when he chose Tennessee as his destination.
“Keller was excited about the chance to compete,” Pruitt said after Chryst signed. “That’s all he wanted.”
Chryst’s playing experience and pedigree as the son of Denver Broncos tight ends coach Geep Chryst make him an appealing option as a potential game-manager in offensive coordinator Tyson Helton’s scheme.
Guarantano’s strong arm and his potential to develop into an option for the Vols in 2019 and 2020 will make him hard to ignore in the competition. Guarantano, who started six games during last season’s 4-8 campaign, attended the prestigious Manning Passing Academy this summer.
“We hadn’t specifically talked about it,” Pruitt said of Guarantano’s experience at the academy. “But I would say probably the big thing is being around other really good quarterbacks across the country, an opportunity to work with young people and probably seeing Peyton and Eli and Archie (Manning), how they carry themselves, how they interact. Then probably just taking reps himself.”
Tennessee junior wide receiver Marquez Callaway said he’s seen “a lot of growth” in Guarantano over the summer before making sure to take a neutral stance in the quarterback race.
“With Chryst coming in, he (Guarantano) is learning a lot from him,” Callaway said. “Keller is learning a lot from Jarrett. But really they go hand-in-hand. They’re helping the young guys. The young guys are helping them. All we can do really is just be where they tell us to be.”
Assuming Chryst and Guarantano each remain on the roster after the competition is decided, Tennessee could have a chance to bolster its quarterback depth for the future by redshirting Shrout and possibly McBride.
McBride was on track to redshirt as a freshman last year before showing grittiness and resolve when he was forced into action in a win against Southern Miss and then started on the road in a loss at Missouri.
His spring game performance leading an under-manned second-team offense was not inspiring. But some inside the program have suggested that McBride kept pace with Guarantano in the spring. Chryst and Shrout, a true freshman, each arrived this summer and participated in 7-on-7 passing drills.
Coaches were not allowed to attend.
“Of course they’re trying to do what they can to prevail,” Callaway said. “But they always help each other from what I’ve seen. They criticize each other for the good. They let them know what they’re doing bad, what they’re doing good. If they’re throwing bad balls, all of them come up, tap them on the butt and tell them to come on. Do better. That’s what they’ve been doing.”
Contact David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DavidWCobb and on Facebook at facebook.com/volsupdate.