Tennessee football: How Tayven Jackson shakes up 2021 QB race

Fresh off of a spring practice dominated by the quarterback race, Tennessee football picked up a huge commitment for 2022 earlier in the week at the position in four-star Indiana prospect Tayven Jackson. As we wrote about at the time, Josh Heupel finally seemed to find his elite quarterback.

With a program solely focused on the future, finding an elite quarterback to lead the way was a big deal. However, Jackson’s commitment does more for Heupel than give him another option in 2022. He also makes the 2021 race a lot easier.

Now, when fall camp arrives, Heupel only has to focus on who the best player is when determining his starter. That seems obvious, but it’s a huge luxury for a first-year head coach. How do you balance building for the future with making an impact now? Tennessee football doesn’t have to worry about that at quarterback.

Harrison Bailey, Brian Maurer and Hendon Hooker were the only three guys who competed in the spring. Hooker is the experienced graduate transfer from the Virginia Tech Hokies. He’ll be joined by Michigan Wolverines transfer Joe Milton in the summer. Bailey and Maurer are returning sophomores, one a redshirt and one a true sophomore, in the program.

Then there’s Kaidon Salter, the four-star dual-threat 2021 signee who committed to Jeremy Pruitt but stayed on when Heupel took over. He missed spring ball due to a suspension, but his inevitable return in the fall could throw a wrench in the whole process.

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If Jackson hadn’t committed, Heupel would have to consider going forward with a guy like Salter, a true freshman he could build his future around. However, Salter may not be fully ready to go when the season starts since he missed the spring.

On the other hand, if Milton or Hooker won the job, Heupel would have to go through back to back rebuilding seasons, having to replace his starting quarterback the year after his first season with guys who couldn’t win the job then. It’d be a lot of pressure, and it’s something that could have derailed Tennessee football under him.

Of course, he could have split the baby at that point. The easiest thing for him would be for Bailey, Salter or Maurer to be the best player on the field so he could throw one of them out there, focusing on this year in the future. It’s still possible that happens, and that still would be the best situation for everybody involved.

Jackson committing, though, means that Heupel can use this year as a stopgap year with any of the quarterbacks, particularly Hooker or Milton. They could guide Rocky Top through what will inevitably be a difficult season and set the standard for next year, when Jackson or a more-ready Salter becomes the quarterback of the future.

More competition in Tennessee football’s 2022 quarterback makes things easier for Heupel in the 2021 race. If experience helps a quarterback win out, so be it. Heupel has his guy for the next year, so he doesn’t have to worry.