An established Jarrett Guarantano can be major key to Vols' success

Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) points before the snap during the Orange and White spring football game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Knoxville, Tenn.
Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano (2) points before the snap during the Orange and White spring football game at Neyland Stadium on Saturday, April 13, 2019, in Knoxville, Tenn.

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.

Strengths

Guarantano is a tough quarterback, that much is known. That's been something that has been talked about and rehashed multiple times over his career, but the belief is that a full offseason to get accustomed to head coach Jeremy Pruitt's system - along with the coaching of Chaney and Weinke - will take him to the next step. The arm talent is there, and he's shown enough during his career to whet the appetite of so many. Guarantano spoke candidly at SEC Media Days last week about how disappointing he felt his career had gone to date, and with all the work he's put in this offseason - including time spent analyzing video with Chaney and building a relationship with Vols legend Peyton Manning - it's possible if not likely that the best is yet to come.

Weaknesses

The biggest issue with the position is that there's no experience behind Guarantano. Shrout and Maurer have some talent, but neither having taken a snap is a concern, especially considering how Guarantano was unable to finish multiple games last season due to lingering injuries. Plus there's the optimism angle being taken by so many about Guarantano: The expectation is that he's improved exponentially from last year to this one, but if he's the same player he was last year, the team won't be much better than last season's 5-7 record.

Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenley3 or at Facebook.com/VolsUpdate.

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