1. Jarrett Guarantano, QB
Vol fans haven’t been overly impressed with what they’ve seen from starting quarterback Quinten Dormady through three games this season. And despite all the talk of the quarterback battle in the fall, Jarrett Guarantano has only appeared in one game, and it was in Tennessee’s game against FCS opponent Indiana State.
Earlier this week, Butch Jones stated that Guarantano has “earned the right to see the field” this weekend. And Guarantano needs to be on that field a lot when the Vols face UMass this Saturday.
Guarantano looked rushed and pressed to make a big play in his lone game this season, but Dormady’s performance this year, especially in the Florida game, should have re-opened the quarterback battle in a big way. Guarantano likely won’t steal away the starting spot with a big game this Saturday, but he could ensure some playing time in SEC games in the future if he does and Dormady continues to make poor decisions in those games.
Bottom line: Guarantano deserves to split reps about 50/50 with Dormady in this game to see what he has in live game situations. And if he doesn’t, he’s being done a disservice.
