Ad Disclosure
Jeremy Pruitt praises camp performances of Tennessee QBs Jarrett Guarantano, Harrison Bailey
Published:
Stop if you’ve heard this one before – Tennessee could have a really good season if it gets good quarterback play this fall.
All the pieces appear to be in place for that to happen following Tennessee’s 8-win season that featured six consecutive wins to finish the season and another touted recruiting class signing on to play for Jeremy Pruitt in Knoxville.
This season will be Jarrett Guarantano’s final opportunity to show what he can do on Rocky Top — provided he doesn’t take advantage of the NCAA’s free year of eligibility and return in 2021 — and if his head coach is to be believed, the senior quarterback has taken command of Jim Chaney’s offense on the practice field.
During his Friday media availability, Pruitt was asked to share his thoughts Guarantano’s performance after a week and a half of fall camp.
“Jarrett has a really good feel for what we’re trying to get done offensively,” Pruitt said. “Not only does he know what he’s supposed to do, he has good understanding for every position on the field. He can coach the guys.
“He’s doing a nice job taking care of the football, working on this consistency, his footwork, decision-making. So, he’s had six really good days.”
However, if Guarantano can’t get it done on the field, one player Vol Nation will be eager to see take the field is true freshman, Harrison Bailey.
The freshman quarterback has missed a portion of camp due to being in quarantine but has made up for that by showcasing his talent to his head coach on the practice field.
“Harrison didn’t practice for the first couple of days, but at our last practice, I thought he had a period there to where he really kind of shined taking care of the football, getting the ball out of his hands,” Pruitt said. “Just like any freshman, he needs tons of reps.
“He needs it at the speed that the game is in college and, you know, the more reps he gets, the better you’ll get – just like any other young player. So he’s just got to continue to get opportunities.”
Based on these comments, Tennessee fans hoping for the freshman to beat out the senior before the season arrives are going to be disappointed but that doesn’t mean Bailey won’t see the field this fall.
When the NCAA decided to give all players a free year to play without losing eligibility, that likely cleared tons of freshmen from around the league to see some action during the upcoming 10-game SEC schedule. That means we should see players like Bailey make their college debuts this fall and have the option to return next season as freshmen poised to potentially start heading into their second college seasons.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
