Could Tennessee be potential landing spot for Stanford QB graduate transfer Keller Chryst?
Following the departure of rising senior Quinten Dormady, who announced his transfer from the program last week, Tennessee appears to be very much in the market for a quick fix to add depth at the quarterback position.
According to one report, Tennessee has explored the option of adding Wagner graduate quarterback Alex Thomson. However, he may not be the only graduate transfer option the Vols are currently considering.
Signal caller Keller Chryst announced his decision to leave Stanford Sunday in order to play his fifth and final season at another program.
After four seasons at Stanford, I have decided to transfer for my 5th year of eligibility when I graduate in June. Thank you to Stanford University, the Stanford Football program, and especially my teammates for the experiences here. Looking forward to what the future holds!
— Keller Chryst (@KellerChryst) January 21, 2018
After three seasons with the Cardinal, Chryst threw for 1,901 yards, 19 touchdowns and only six interceptions. Modest numbers, to be sure, especially when you consider his lofty recruiting rankings. Chryst was rated as the No. 51 overall prospect in the country in 2014 and the No. 3 pro-style QB in the nation by 247Sports Composite Rankings. He played locally at Palo Alto High School in California.
Interestingly enough, Chryst was recruited by USC head coach Clay Helton (he was the OC and QB coach during Chryst’s recruitment). Helton, of course, is the brother of Tennessee’s offensive coordinator, Tyson Helton.
According to Dan Wolken of USA TODAY, Tennessee is one to watch following Chryst’s decision to leave Stanford.
Heard this was in the works. Don’t be surprised if Tennessee is a player here. https://t.co/vFOktsqekh
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) January 21, 2018
When someone questioned Wolken’s comment, he followed it up with this comment letting people know his original comment was more than just speculation.
Maybe but I’m not guessing
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) January 21, 2018
The Tennessee staff has yet to have an opportunity to see the team’s current QBs on the practice field and it appears the offensive coaches aren’t willing to stand pat if the opportunity arises to add a player to the depth chart. While Jarrett Guarantano and Will McBride have shown flashes of potential at times, it’s hard to imagine a player like Chryst transferring to Knoxville for his final season of eligibility with the intention of sitting on the bench.