Tennessee football: Who wins Vols quarterback competition?

Who will new Tennessee football coach Josh Heupel name as the Vols starting quarterback?

One of the first big decisions Josh Heupel needs to make as Tennessee’s new head football coach is which quarterback he’s going to trust to lead his offensive revolution in 2021. The Volunteers have four signal-callers with a legitimate shot to win the starting job. The player who wins the competition will have a lot of control over how successful Heupel can be in his first season.

The competition shapes up to be an evenly balanced battle between two returnees and two newcomers. Harrison Bailey finished 2020 as the team’s starter and likely enters the spring as Heupel’s No. 1 option. That distinction won’t mean anything if he struggles to build on the promising finish of his freshman campaign.

Brian Maurer also returns for the Volunteers as a guy who has flashed potential at times during his collegiate career. He reportedly considered leaving the program this offseason, but now seems prepared to compete for the starting job under his new head coach.

Ironically, the most experienced quarterback of the quartet has not played a single snap for Tennessee. Hendon Hooker made the decision to trade Virginia Tech for the Volunteers before the school made its coaching transition. He was never a star for the Hokies, but he did efficiently lead his team to a solid number of wins during his 15 career starts.

The real wild card in the mix is freshman Kaidon Salter. The Texas native enrolled early at Tennessee as a top-200 national recruit per 247sports.com. He brings an extra dimension of mobility that no other quarterback at the school possesses. It might take him time to learn the intricacies of Heupel’s offense, but he could move up the depth chart quickly if he shows he can turn that high-level speed into big rushing plays on the perimeter.

The Vols quarterback competition is a 2-man race

The short answer to that query is “probably not.” Maurer likely enters the competition on the outside looking in due to his inconsistencies as a passer. He has a rocket for an arm but it’s telling that he was never able to earn Jeremy Pruitt’s trust despite being one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the program.

Salter is an exciting prospect but he might need a year on the sidelines to adjust to the rigors of SEC football. He’ll need an outstanding spring to really get in the mix for the starting job before fall camp arrives.

That leaves this as a likely two-man competition between Bailey and Hooker. If the Volunteers were looking to maximize their 2021 win total they’d likely go with the former Hokies starter. He doesn’t bring outstanding skills to the position, but he is an above-average athlete who isn’t going to turn the football over. That trait would have endeared him to Pruitt, but also will be seen as a positive by Heupel and his staff.

The No. 1 goal of Heupel in his inaugural season isn’t to grind out every possible short-term win. Instead, it’s to chart a new course for the Volunteers program that will allow it to succeed over the long haul.

That’s why Bailey should be considered the favorite to win this job. He still needs to improve his consistency, but he flashed elite skills as a passer down the stretch of his 2020 campaign. Heupel should look to make him the face of his offensive revolution in Knoxville. He’s the type of quarterback who can elevate the personnel around him if he gains a full grasp of the new offense.

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