Ranking all Tennesse football QBs to start for Johnny Majors

In terms of talent, Pat Ryan may be No. 1 on this list. However, when Johnny Majors arrived in 1977, his combination of the veer option and I-formation was not a fit for Ryan’s style as a drop-back passer. As a result, the senior quarterback did not get a chance to showcase what he could do for Tennessee football the way he would have been able to in a different system.

Ryan started Majors’ first year as a backup, but he did get the nod after UT began the season 1-2. His first start was against the Oregon State Beavers, and he had an epic performance, leading Rocky Top to a 41-10 win to get the program to 2-2. At that point, he became the full-time starter. However, he was not able to keep up his magic.

After beating Oregon State, Ryan had two ineffectual performances, losing 24-8 to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and 24-10 to the Alabama Crimson Tide. As his drop-back style clashed with Majors’ and Joe Avezzano’s systems, he was benched in the Alabama game and didn’t start again.

In his one year with Majors, Ryan completed 41.5 percent of his passes for 355 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions. He ran for another 52 yards and a touchdown. Ryan was validated with a 12-year NFL career, 11 of which were with the New York Jets, where he started 19 games and two playoff games. So he clearly had talent. He just didn’t fit with the new scheme.