Tennessee football: Top five Vols performers in 31-19 loss to Florida

3 of 5

Dec 5, 2020; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Harrison Bailey (15) throws a touchdown pass against the Florida Gators during the first half at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /

3. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Quarterback. Freshman. Harrison Bailey. 839

14-of-21 for 111 yards, 1 TD

Technically, J.T. Shrout had better numbers. Down 31-7, Shrout came in at the end and led Tennessee football on back to back touchdown drives of 94 and 96 yards respectively, the only two drives he was in the game. He completed 12-of-14 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, and that touchdown was a 4th and 10 22-yard pass to Velus Jones Jr.

Simply put, Shrout worked his way into the conversation for starting quarterback. However, Harrison Bailey made the plays that mattered. He still had a touchdown and didn’t have an interception, but more importantly, he was the guy in the game when the Vols had a 7-3 lead and was keeping things close.

None of the issues Saturday fall on Bailey. He was sacked five times on the day and had to deal with horrible protection as he went up against one of the best pass rushes in the nation in his first start. The fact that he led a 96-yard scoring drive in the first half was beyond impressive.

Could Bailey have been bette? Yes. Did he do lots of spectacular things? No. However, Jeremy Pruitt and Jim Chaney kept the harness on him a lot, and he showed flashes in the process. As a result, he makes the list.

Home/Vols Football