The Tennessee spring game is now over, and Josh Heupel's Vols have a long road ahead this offseason as they prepare for a grueling nine-game SEC schedule, along with a big-time nonconference matchup against Georgia Tech.
The most important takeaway from the Tennessee spring game
The quarterback competition has been the talk of the spring, and we finally got a chance to see how each quarterback looked in live action on Saturday. Ryan Satub, George MacIntyre, and Faizon Brandon had an okay outing, but the real takeaway was how good Jim Knowles' defense looked in their first live showing.
Many people have thought that this team was going to win by leaning on the run game with DeSean Bishop and playing strong defense. The Vols did have a huge touchdown run from transfer running back Javin Gordon, who proved he is capable as well.
Furthermore, the quarterbacks looked shaky at times, but also had good moments. Faizon Brandon had some big scrambles, showing off his dual-threat ability. The big takeaway was his deep ball accuracy, which needed work. But it is understandable for a player who should still be in high school. Brandon also didn't get a ton of help from his wideouts as he was hit with multiple drops.
George MacIntyre had a solid day, but we didn’t see him push the ball downfield much. He played more of a game manager role, moving the offense steadily. He also had a couple of nice runs, showing off his scrambling ability as well. If I had to guess, I’d say he has the lead right now in the race, but it’s way too close to call. It’s basically a 51% to 49% edge.
Is Ryan Staub a dark horse in the race?
Staub was the first quarterback to play in the live action portion, and he looked pretty good. Staub had a 70+ yard touchdown throw to Carson Whitehead. He looked comfortable and had poise in the pocket, which isn't surprising based on his experience as a starter at Colorado. While Staub had a nice day, he is still likely on the outside looking in when it comes to starting next season. While there may be growing pains with Brnaodn and MacIntyre, they both possess a much larger ceiling.