6’5″ 220 pounds; Hometown: Marietta, Ga.
There were no specific mentions of Harrison Bailey, but nobody could deny he was Tennessee football’s biggest winner in Josh Heupel’s first spring practice. All he did was raise expectations for himself in the process.
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Obviously, the standout storyline of spring ball was the quarterback race. However, with incoming freshman Kaidon Salter suspended and Michigan Wolverines transfer Joe Milton not yet on the roster, it only came down to Bailey, Brian Maurer and Virginia Tech Hokies transfer Hendon Hooker. They all had to seize their opportunity with Salter and Milton not yet there.
Bailey did just that. He was the top performer at quarterback in the open practice, in the scrimmages and in the spring game. Despite being a pocket passer in a system that would seem conducive to dual-threat quarterbacks, Bailey seems like the best guy to run Heupel’s system.
In the Orange and White game, Bailey completed 12-of-15 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns. That’s more total yards than any of the quarterbacks, even if you combine passing and rushing, and while Hooker had as many touchdowns combined, he also had a turnover, throwing a pick-six. Simply put, Bailey was easily the top performer.
Seeing significant action with J.T. Shrout as effectively a co-starter in Tennessee football’s last three games certainly gave the graduate of Marietta High School in Cobb County a solid bit of experience. That appeared to translate to the spring, and he has entered the summer as the favorite to be the starting quarterback in 2021.