Tennessee football: Vols QB competition is a four-man race to start camp

Most feel like they have a pretty good idea who will begin the year at quarterback. However, four players will have the chance to prove that they are the guy.

The 2018 SEC Media Days provided a glimmer of hope to a thirsty Tennessee football fanbase looking for the Vols to be great again. However, it’s not just the fans that should walk away happy; all four quarterbacks will get their chance to impress the coaching staff at the start of camp. And, if you’re a player that’s all you want, an opportunity.

On Wednesday Pruitt said, “It’s going to be important for us to whittle it down as soon as we possibly can. But all four guys will definitely get a shot to start with.”

Two things stood out in these two short sentences. One being that Pruitt has to whittle down the competition as soon as possible. When have we ever heard a coach say that? Usually, coaches say quiet and try to surprise their opponents in week one. Not Pruitt.

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There’s no surprises or gimmicks with this guy, hence the no Smokey grey jerseys. He’s going to tell you what he’s got and make you stop him. It’s a confidence that Tennessee fans have not seen from a head coach in quite some time.

The other point from the quotes, is all four guys are going to get the opportunity to impress. Indeed, this is good news for us writers because it brings on the topics.

But, its also good news for fans and the team. One thing is for sure, if all the quarterbacks have an equal opportunity, Pruitt will unquestionably start the best player.

And, this should be one of the most intriguing quarterback battles in quite some time. Grad transfer, Keller Chryst only has one more season of college football left. Plus he has a lot of doubters from being benched at Stanford.

Then, of course, there is Jarrett Guarantano who showed impeccable heart in mostly losing efforts. And, as the season went on, he showed his potential of being a respected leader for the football team.

A lot of folks discredit Will McBride, myself included. But, you never know if he can take steps in the right direction on improving enough to become an SEC caliber quarterback.

Next: 4 takeaways from Jeremy Pruitt at SEC Media Days

Finally, newcomer J.T. Shrout a three-star from Newhall, California will have a chance to play. I think Shrout is the quarterback of the future for the Vols. The kid has a strong arm with proper mechanics. I wouldn’t be surprised if Shrout were every bit as ready as Chryst and Guarantano.

It will be interesting to see how the quarterback competition plays out. Here’s to hoping it will make the team better in the long run.

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