Tennessee football: Vols should start Chryst if Guarantano not 100 percent

Tennessee football quarterback Jarrett Guarantano got hurt against Alabama. If he’s not fully healthy, the Volunteers should start Keller Chryst.

Let’s be clear. Jarrett Guarantano is the quarterback of the future for Tennessee football under Jeremy Pruitt, and he’s proven more than enough to make that case. However, he has taken a lot of shots over the last two games.

So if the guy is not 100 percent ready to go this weekend, Pruitt and Tyson Helton should start Chryst. The Vols have too much at stake for their future to put Guarantano at risk, particularly this weekend against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

This is the fifth game in a row in which the Vols are facing a Nick Saban protege running the defense on the other side. And with that comes a lot of attacking from a 3-4 scheme that assures the quarterback will take a lot of hits.

Why give Will Muschamp the opportunity to take a few licks at Guarantano? Tennessee football’s offensive line already has major issues, especially on the interior, which allows for a ton of pressure right up the middle.

It’s not worth Saturday’s game to risk Guarantano. But even more importantly, Chryst has proven he can actually play in place of Guarantano. The graduate transfer senior proved himself time and time again with the Stanford Cardinal.

With the Vols on Saturday, he once again proved himself. In fact, Pro Football Focus gave Chryst the second highest grade of anybody against Alabama and the highest of an UT player. So we know for sure he can play, and he may be better than Guarantano at this moment.

This is not to say he should beat out Guarantano with all things being equal. Guarantano brings almost if not as much to the table while also better positioning the program for the future. But there’s no shame in keeping him healthy for now.

Remember, Pruitt and Tyson Helton have got to make sure they have a successful season this year, at least make a bowl game. They need it for recruiting purposes. A healthy Chryst gives them a better chance to do that than a banged up Guarantano.

Not only would a banged up Guarantano limit the passing game, which is all Tennessee football has at this point. It would also put the future of the program behind Guarantano’s arm at risk. What if he re-aggravates something while playing hurt? It’s just all not worth the risk.

Chryst right now is actually a more accurate passer than Guarantano, albeit only slightly. He has more than enough talent to guide the Vols if they need him to. And playing him is not a risk to the program’s long-term future.

As a result, so much about him playing is better for Pruitt and the program at this moment if Guarantano is really banged up. The guy has taken shots in four straight games. More are coming Saturday. Tennessee football may want to think about saving him from those if they can.