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Tennessee football: 5 biggest keys to Vols 2018 QB battle

By Caleb Calhoun

TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 21: Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - OCTOBER 21: Jarrett Guarantano #2 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks to pass against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on October 21, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images /

1. Picking up the offense

This wouldn’t be the key in every system or every year. But in a complex pro-style offense, quarterbacks need to be able to pick up the schemes. On top of that, of the four quarterbacks in the race, two of them played in the spread offense for Tennessee football last year.

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    • The other two come from pro-style offenses, but one is coming out of high school. Keller Chryst is the only guy with experience at the college level playing in a pro-style offense, coming from the Stanford Cardinal. That gives him a huge advantage in this race.

    However, the other quarterbacks all have some physical tools that could favor them, especially Jarrett Guarantano. So if Guarantano could pick up the offense, he would have a great chance to win the full-time starting job.

    Either way, there are already too many transitions for the Vols this year because of the schematic changes on both sides of the ball. As a result, this year more than ever, a guy who can pick things up quickly will be a huge asset for Tyson Helton and Jeremy Pruitt.

    When Butch Jones came, he tried to force his spread on Justin Worley, who was clearly not fit for it. Helton and Pruitt will look for the best guy who can run their system, which is a much better decision. And the beauty of the pro-style is they can tweak it more to fit their quarterbacks’ needs, whomever he is.

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    But the starter still has to pick up the offense. So if Chryst is far ahead of the pack here, he will win the job. If other people are close to him, though, then other intangibles and physical tools could determine the starter. Guarantano and Will McBride at least have the advantage of practicing in Helton’s offense back in the spring. So this could go in any direction.

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