With QB job still open, Jones and Canales rave about Guarantano's growth
Two weeks into fall camp, Tennessee’s fifth-year coach Butch Jones is no closer to naming a starting quarterback for the opener against Georgia Tech on Sept. 4.
“We haven't made (a decision),” Jones said Sunday during UT's Media Day. “Like we’ve spoken about earlier, I don't ever believe in setting timetables. When it manifests and it happens, it happens.”
Both Quinten Dormady and Jarrett Guarantano continue to share reps in the battle for the Vols' starting job, but many believe Dormady, a junior with limited game experience, is the frontrunner in the competition.
Perhaps that prediction is a bit premature.
Jones, as well as quarterbacks coach Mike Canales, remain open to a two-quarterback system to start the year, especially following the recent strong practice play of their rocket-armed redshirt freshman.
“Again, I see both individuals competing exceptionally, exceptionally hard,” Jones said.
“I thought Jarrett Guarantano probably had the best practice he’s had last night. I liked his command of the offense. I liked what he brought to the table, and Quinten has been very, very consistent day in and day out. I see both of those individuals getting better and better.”
While the Vols didn't scrimmage Saturday, Guarantano shined during situational work and Canales raved about the quarterbacks's growth over the past week. After missing Friday's practice due to a death in his family, Guarantano returned to Knoxville eager to work.
"He was very focused and it’s happened the last couple of days where I saw the light come on. He’s constantly asking me questions," Canales said.
“He asked me last night and the day before we came out to practice, ‘Coach, what do you want me to do? What do you want me to work on specifically and get better at? So we set some goals, some standards and some objectives and he went out and met it last night.
"I was very proud of him. He’s really come on. You can start to see it. The light is starting to come on. I told him, ‘Instead of questioning and asking. You’re saying, ‘Yea. Coach is right. I get it.’ He’s starting to see it. He’s a little more coachable. Not that he wasn't before, but he’s starting to see how it all works together and he had a heck of a night.”
With the assumption that both quarterbacks will play against the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta next month, Tennessee’s coaches are evaluating Dormady and Guarantano on even the smallest of details — both on and off the field.
As Jones said himself, the microscope is real and both players are being challenged on everything.
“The mark of a good player is they elevate the play around them. I want to see our quarterbacks step up and elevate the play of others around them. Have a command and presence,” Jones said.
“We video tape everything they do. From the way they run from drill to drill. To the way they interact. We call it a ‘Quarterback Leadership Camera.’ We evaluate how they interact with their teammates. I watch who they sit with at the training table. Are they getting around other factions on the team? The offensive line, the running backs, the tight ends?
"That what I spoke to them, being a quarterback, there’s so many demands that go into it. There's so much off the field. In terms of being around your teammates, getting to know everyone. That’s when you built the trust amongst your peers. But I’ve been very, very pleased.”