We’re looking at the first quarterback on this list to take over Tennessee football after it had arrived. Jeff Francis became the starting quarterback in 1986 on the heels of the Vols’ legendary SEC Championship season that proved Johnny Majors had brought them back. However, he was not ready for the moment early on.
Behind Francis, UT got off to a 2-5 start, including upset losses to the Army Black Knights and Mississippi State Bulldogs. It was a disappointing beginning for a top 10 team. After that, though, Francis rebounded and helped them win their final five games, similar to what they did this past year under Jeremy Pruitt, to finish 7-5.
The next year, the Vols had their best season under Francis. They won 10 games for the first time under Majors to finish 10-2-1 and ranked in the top 15. A tie with the Auburn Tigers was the only thing that kept them from winning the SEC Championship, but it was still one of Majors’ best years at UT to that point.
In 1988, things changed, as Rocky Top was super-young and got hit with injuries, resulting in a disastrous 0-6 start. The only team in that start that wouldn’t finish the season ranked, to be fair, was the Duke Blue Devils, and they still went 7-3-1 under Steve Spurrier.
Still, Francis didn’t quit, and he helped the Vols win their final five games, setting the tone for 1989, which would be the year the program arrived permanently in the modern era. For his career, Francis completed 62 percent of his passes for 5,867 yards, and he had 31 touchdowns to only 26 interceptions along with three more rushing touchdowns.