Tennessee Football: Who holds the upper hand in Vols quarterback battle?

Tennessee football is looking for answers in many positions. Here’s a look at who has the upper hand in the Volunteers quarterback battle.

Tennessee football has given us their fair share of questions on both sides of the ball. One area Vols fans are most interested in is this undying quarterback battle between junior Quinten Dormady and redshirt-freshman, Jarrett Quarantano.

After losing Joshua Dobbs, one of the most talented quarterbacks Tennessee has seen in a while, the shoes to fill are quite large.

It’s a competition that will continue to be discussed in the off-season as Tennessee prepares for a tenacious schedule. The strongest challenges  involve Florida and Alabama on the road in addition to bringing the Bulldogs and LSU back to Knoxville.

What is there to look for in this quarterback battle? What comparisons can we make? Let’s start with Dormady.

DORMADY:
Dormady is the man who’s been immediately behind Dobbs for 2 years now. Throwing ability is his strongest argument.

Though he may not be built in the same manner as Dobbs, Dormady still has plenty to offer. He’s tall, he’s built. At 6’4 and 215 lbs Dormady fits the part to a “T”. He’s also no stranger to the field.

From the entire second half of the TN Tech game, to the unfortunate ending of the Alabama game, Dormady has had his fair share of snaps in the 2016 season and is clearly cut out to play at the SEC level.

Some analysts have even made the comparison to Tom Brady. Yes, a very bold, yet kind of accurate, comparison.

Dormady appears to have a demeanor that doesn’t get rattled by pressure. When you consider the pressure Brady overcame in the most recent Super Bowl against the Falcons, the similarities (both in passing style and sensibility) are certainly clear.

Even when all the hype surrounded redshirt-freshman Jarrett Guarantano through Spring, the junior mentioned he would only do his thing on and off the field.

He’s not going to worry about what people say. Shortly after, he was able to prove himself more than worthy of the leading man position when he went 10/10, 2TDs, 120 yds, and a “right-on-the-money” Hail Mary challenge in the Tennessee football Orange and White Game. Had the game not been canceled due to weather, who knows what else he may have accomplished.

GUARANTANO:

Scrambling sets him apart from his competition.

Play calling certainly wasn’t in his favor in the Spring game. However, Jarrett Guarantano still walked away with a 4/5 throwing rate for 41 yds.

While these stats aren’t wildly impressive, one would argue he wasn’t showcased to his fullest potential. He didn’t run the ball nearly as much as maybe fans expected. Head Coach Butch Jones held out on 20 starters due to injuries and seemed to be thinking a bit more conservatively when it came to our redshirt freshman.

Unlike Dormady, Guarantano is certainly built in the same manner as Dobbs. He can throw, but he can run too. And while he suffered two “sacks”, people may forget those are escapable for a kid like JG.

Quarterbacks aren’t given live contact in spring games for a reason so it’s tough to call a defender’s hand on the quarterback a sack. Guarantano’s high school highlights will show you just what he’s capable of when it comes to thinking with his feet.

He is more than capable of turning a potentially “botched” play into a play of positive yardage, and then some.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

While neither player has acted as a starter, both have incredible poise and are fit for SEC play.

Yes, it may seem Dormady is in the lead for the #1 spot. But, don’t count out Guarantano just yet.

Both held offers from Alabam and other big time programs so there’s no question on whether they’re cut out for college ball. What we have to do now is analyze who is more suited to a Tennessee football offense.

Will they start Dormady and make a few tweaks by running him under center or start JG and continue to use the scrambler effect that led Tennessee football to a record breaking offense for most points scored in school history? Perhaps a two quarterback system…only time will tell.