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Tennessee football: 4 reasons Keller Chryst should be Vols starting quarterback

By Caleb Calhoun

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: Keller Chryst of Stanford celebrates a Stanford touchdown during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 27: Keller Chryst of Stanford celebrates a Stanford touchdown during the College Football Sydney Cup match between Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal) and Rice University (Rice Owls) at Allianz Stadium on August 27, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images /

4. Keller Chryst has been gaining the slight edge in practice.

You win the starting job in practice. When fall camp started the first week, reports surfaced that Jarrett Guarantano had the slight edge over Keller Chryst. However, based on reports from Nathaneal Rutherford of Rocky Top Insider, it would appear Chryst has slightly moved ahead. And it’s not just the practices.

This dates back to Tennessee football’s first scrimmage, Aug. 13. John Brice of Gridiron Now had high praise for Chryst that day. Reports were that he threw multiple touchdowns, and although Guarantano played well that day too, it was clearly the turning point.

Now, through two weeks and taking all that into account, you would assume this could go either way. After all, we’re just saying that Chryst has a slight edge. But consider the fact that Chryst is slightly gaining the edge and he just began practicing in Tyson Helton’s system this month.

When Jeremy Pruitt ran spring ball, it was just Guarantano and Will McBride. So Guarantano had a 15-practice head start on Chryst to learn this offense, and Chryst caught up in a week. Imagine what he could do with more time!

Based on quotes from Pruitt, they had equal reps in the second scrimmage, so we can’t take too much from that. But everything else seems to point toward Chryst. That suggests right now he is better-positioned to start for the Vols when the season opens. And the reason for that likely derives from our next slide.

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