Jarrett Guarantano
KNOXVILLE – A sure sign that another Tennessee football season is looming: the Vols will begin game-week preparations later this week for the Aug. 31 season opener against Georgia State. Vols coach Jeremy Pruitt said so last Saturday following the team’s scrimmage.
The game, of course, will be preceded by the season’s first depth chart. But there’s little in the way of certainty regarding the first reveal of the Vols’ starting lineup.
All that Pruitt has said so far regarding this matter is “I think we have a starting quarterback.”
Jarrett Guarantano laughed when the news was related to him last week and said, “Well, it’s a first.”
It’s a given as well, considering Guarantano’s experience and the inexperience of the quarterbacks in line behind him. The variable has been Guarantano’s appreciation for such certainty.
The 6-foot-4, 213-pound redshirt junior, who has made the quarterback preseason watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, has been outspoken about his ambitions. In his first interview during fall camp, he said: “Coming into this season, I want to be the best quarterback in the country and I want to win a lot of games.”
He doubled down on his intent last week by saying: “I just want to be the best player in the world and I want to be the best player in the country. And that’s my every-day goal.”
The only noteworthy difference in his exuberance was in terms of context. He first broached the goal with regard to his career, which has suffered from Tennessee’s coaching upheaval as well as injury. As Guarantano said, “I took a couple steps back so I can really see certain things the way I do, and now I’m going forward.”
He reiterated his aspirations last week in relation to his daily planner during the preseason. “Every single day,” he said, “I’m trying to get better at something.”
While Guarantano’s career likely has enhanced his maturity and motivation, his stated purpose is best served by the work behind it.
His offseason preparation included studying several other quarterbacks at all levels. He mentioned such professionals as Deshaun Watson, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers. He also checked out his collegiate peers: Tua Tagovailoa, Jake Fromm and Trevor Lawrence.
“I think that was part of the maturation process,” Guarantano said, “just saying, ‘There’s some things I want to get better at, and how do I do that?’ ”
Guarantano said that he picked up something from every quarterback he reviewed.
He augmented his summer studies at the Manning Passing Academy, competing against other QBs and asking questions of the celebrated counselors.
Closer to home, Guarantano’s relationship with new offensive coordinator Jim Chaney has been well documented. Last week, quarterbacks coach Chris Weinke spoke with the media and elaborated on his approach to Guarantano.
“The challenge is always this: you have to find a way to create competition,” Weinke said. “Knowing and understanding he’s a veteran guy and is going be our starting quarterback, just having that relationship, talking to him about, ‘hey listen you have to approach every day like Tom Brady is in the room and you are competing against him. Elevate your game on a regular basis.’ ’’
Imagine Tom Brady being in the room. Now there’s a self-improvement tip to consider. Surprised that Guarantano didn’t think of it.
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Dan Fleser is a 1980 graduate of the University of Missouri who covered University of Tennessee athletics for the Knoxville News Sentinel from 1988-2019. He can be reached at danfleser3@gmail.com