GUILD, Tenn.— The Tennessee Volunteers are turning the page from spring football practice to the looming summer workouts with an unproven quarterback room.
At least the person ultimately calling the shots has experience.
Josh Heupel is in his sixth year as Tennessee’s head coach, and he’s in his 21st consecutive year as either a quarterbacks coach, offensive coordinator or head coach. That may be the most comforting element to a Vols competition that contains redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, early enrollee Faizon Brandon and redshirt junior and Colorado transfer Ryan Staub.
“This is going to be the fifth new starting quarterback at Tennessee in six years,” Heupel said Tuesday night before the Big Orange Caravan stop at the Riverdance Restaurant overlooking Nickajack Lake. “We’ve been doing it in different ways. Sometimes it’s been year one for a guy in our system, and sometimes they’ve had a year in it, but it’s five of six. Historically, as a head coach and even back as a coordinator, I’ve had competitions like this.
“We have two young guys who are competing, and Ryan is there with a little more experience. George is the only one who’s had time on task inside of our system.”