CHANGE PLANS OF
JONES: GUARANTANO HAS EARNED CHANCE TO START
KNOXVILLE — Last year, South Carolina freshman quarterback Jake Bentley made his first start in Southeastern Conference play against Tennessee, and he directed the Gamecocks to a win that changed the course of their season.
Tennessee will try to replicate that script in its favor when the teams meet again Saturday.
Volunteers coach Butch Jones confirmed Wednesday that redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano will get his first career start when Tennessee (3-2, 0-2) hosts South Carolina (4-2, 2-2) at noon at Neyland Stadium.
“Each game is different in and of itself,” Jones said. “But it’s more so that we just felt Jarrett has earned the opportunity.”
News first broke Tuesday that Jones planned to start Guarantano this week, but Wednesday marked the coach’s first public remarks on the situation. He said the decision
is “no reflection” on junior Quinten Dormady, who started Tennessee’s first five games.
“Quinten’s done some good things, but you’re always looking for what you feel gives you the best opportunity to win the football game,” Jones said. “The scheme is the scheme. The scheme is in place. So it’s more just I think Jarrett has earned that right and opportunity.”
Guarantano was the top-ranked dualthreat quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.com. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound 19-year-old from New Jersey has appeared in three games this season in relief of Dormady — against Indiana State, Massachusetts and Georgia — and has
completed 12 of 24 passes for 50 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions.
In addition to being his biggest stage yet, Saturday’s game will offer an opportunity of sorts at public redemption for Guarantano after his body language became a topic during ESPN’s broadcast of the season-opening 42-41 win over Georgia Tech in double overtime. Dormady played the entire game, and cameras honed in on Guarantano, who appeared subdued and distant from the team.
“I think we all know the Georgia Tech deal and what happened there,” Vols offensive coordinator Larry Scott said this
week, noting Gurantano “is not hiding from that.” In fact, Scott said, the ordeal afforded Guarantano a learning experience.
“With the help of your parents, us as coaches, your teammates, we’re going to help you through this,” Scott said. “But now you see what it’s supposed to look like, that it can’t be like that and you’ve got to grow and go in a different direction. What he’s done is, he’s done a really good job just mentally of understanding how to focus, how to be a great teammate, learning how to take the steps to be the quarterback.”
Now Dormady finds himself in a position similar to Guarantano’s during the opener. Jones said Dormady, who backed up Joshua Dobbs the past two seasons, had one of his better practices this year on Tuesday.
“Quinten is a competitor,” Jones said. “Obviously, he was very, very disappointed. But that’s what you would expect from a competitor.”
Redshirt senior receiver Josh Smith defended Dormady from criticism Tuesday and said blame for Tennessee’s offensive struggles should not fall only on the quarterback. Smith also expressed confidence in Guarantano’s leadership and the redemption storyline that could play out Saturday.
“Jarrett is a good story, because he’s just unselfish,” Smith said. “You have a guy that, they’re both competing and you give the job to another guy. He keeps competing, and that just shows his character. I think highly of him, and I think he’s growing and I think he’s going to keep getting better and better.”