A three-star quarterback, Brian Maurer could be a surprise candidate to start, and he certainly helped himself by being an early enrollee. The Florida pro-style quarterback shouldn’t fight to do anything but win a starting job.
We’ve already stated that Jarrett Guarantano’s job should not be considered safe. Tennessee football went 5-7 last year and had one of the worst offenses in the NCAA, so he deserves some competition this spring. And that’s why Maurer is ahead of Ramel Keyton, who is joining a unit full of loaded talent.
The reason Maurer is down here, though, is because he has a tough road to climb to become a starter. Not only is Guarantano the favorite to start, but JT Shrout, who has already spent a year in the system, redshirted last year and will be ahead of Maurer this spring.
Shrout has a bigger arm and is a better fit for what Jim Chaney likes to do. That already puts him ahead of Maurer, and it’s another reason Maurer is down here on the list. It’s not like he’s a five-star talent. He is a three-star that the Vols want to develop. With two quarterbacks already ahead of him on the roster, even opening up the competition for him likely won’t land him the job.