[tps_header][/tps_header]
1. Justin Worley
Surprise!
Don’t get me wrong. The quarterback position gives me great pause. Still, unlike Team 117, at least this year’s starting quarterback has experience coming in. And that counts, especially when you consider that the highest rated returning quarterback in the SEC is Bo Wallace (who, incidentally, looks like a tremendous Three Doors Down fan). If that stat surprised you, it shouldn’t have. For gone are Aaron Murray, A.J. McCarron, Johnny Manziel, Zach Mettenburger, Connor Shaw and James Franklin. And the departure of that kind of talent has to close the gap between Worley and the conference’s best. Which it has, as evidenced by another potentially surprising stat: Justin Worley ranks 4th in career passing yards among projected starting quarterbacks in the SEC.
But the best news is this: by naming Worley as the starter, it’s clear that Butch Jones isn’t playing for the future. He’s going all in on this year. Presumably because he thinks UT can go bowling with Worley at the helm. And that would be a wonderful accomplishment for this team.
[tps_footer][/tps_footer]
