Jeremy Pruitt’s declaration that there would be no declaration considering Tennessee’s starting quarterback was hardly a surprise for anyone familiar with the current state of coaching and, in particular, the Nick Saban coach tree.

Why should Pruitt declare who his starting quarterback will be against No. 17 West Virginia on Saturday? Who would that help other than the Mountaineers?

I truly believe this is gamesmanship, which is being astutely played by the first-year head coach. However, if Pruitt is at all unsure about which quarterback will lead his team, the Vols could have major problems brewing. Pruitt had better know which quarterback gives him the best chance to win. That’s probably the most important decision Pruitt will make this year.

Even with far less time to prepare and facing the challenge of a new system, I thought Keller Chryst would step up and win the starting job when he came to Knoxville as a graduate transfer from Stanford. It doesn’t appear as though that has happened, unless Pruitt is being coy.

It’s hard to tell who has performed better in practice since the vast majority of practices are closed. However, several media members have gone on record as saying they believe Guarantano is in the lead for the first-team position.

There’s reason to think Guarantano can fend off Chryst. Guarantano has a strong arm, is mobile, smart and tough, which I happen to think is his best attribute. There were times last season that Guarantano took more hits than Rocky Balboa’s body double. Yet he kept getting up, kept fighting and did his best to stay in a pocket that was incredibly porous.

It’s probably time to forget about Guarantano’s early season sideline antics last season that drew so much criticism. Imagine being in Guarantano’s place. Thanks to a relationship his father had with former coach Butch Jones, Guarantano signed with the Vols despite the fact that other, more successful schools kept calling. He believed in Jones and the Vols. It must have been a stark wakeup call when he realized that the Vols were so incredibly dysfunctional. Imagine being 18 years old and realizing you may have made a terrible, life-altering decision that you were locked into.

The thing that will continue to concern me about Guarantano is his accuracy. Former UT quarterback Joshua Dobbs never could quite overcome the same issue, especially with mid-range throws. The fact that Jones wasn’t able to find a way to adapt to Dobbs’ shortcomings is yet another indictment of Jones’ coaching ability.

The problem the Vols might face this year is that neither quarterback is terribly accurate. Chryst had the same problem at Stanford. If both quarterbacks are shaky in the accuracy department, then it’s hard to imagine UT’s offense being any better than average this season — unless Pruitt’s offensive staff can overcome those shortcomings. That’s happened before at Tennessee.

Heath Shuler was an incredible athlete with a cannon arm. The Vols used that to their advantage be getting him on the run with waggles, bootlegs and a moving pocket. Shuler wasn’t always looking to run, but he could if he needed to. That kept defenses honest.

Former UT head coach Phillip Fulmer and offensive coordinator David Cutcliffe did the same with Tee Martin. That worked out pretty well as the Vols won a national title in Martin’s first year in 1998. Former UT head coach Lane Kiffin did the same with Jonathan Crompton late in his senior year. It provided an incredible uplifting chapter for Crompton, who UT fans had unfairly turned on.

Fulmer, Cutcliffe and Kiffin (yes, I used those three names together) had one thing in common. They were all very good offensive minds. So maybe it doesn’t matter who takes the snaps for the Vols this season? Maybe it’s more important who is calling the plays and who is setting up the game plans each week. The Vols might not have a great choice at quarterback. If that’s the case, the better have a great option among their coaching staff.

So don’t worry about who UT’s quarterback might be this season. Be concerned that UT offensive coordinator Tyson Helton can put whoever is taking the snaps in the best position possible.