Tennessee Vols: The biggest difference between Brian Maurer and Jarrett Guarantano
Tennessee Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt announced on Wednesday, to the surprise of no one, that true freshman Brian Maurer will start at quarterback against Mississippi State on Saturday. The announcement was expected after the team played with more energy and "swagger" against Georgia with Maurer under center. Talent wise, there probably isn't a huge […]
Tennessee Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt announced on Wednesday, to the surprise of no one, that true freshman Brian Maurer will start at quarterback against Mississippi State on Saturday.
The announcement was expected after the team played with more energy and "swagger" against Georgia with Maurer under center.
Talent wise, there probably isn't a huge difference between Maurer and Guarantano. Neither are speedsters. Both have strong arms. And both have made some mistakes.
The biggest difference between Maurer and Guarantano, however, is in leadership.
Pruitt indirectly described the difference in leadership between the two quarterbacks on Wednesday, telling reporters that the "great ones have an effect on the entire team".
Pruitt: "One thing that you do as a quarterback, you kind of get caught up in your world. There’s lots of things that go on there because the ball goes through your hands. The guys that really have success are the ones that can still control their world there when it goes on with the quarterback and still have an effect on the people and the field at the same time. The great ones can have an effect on the entire team.”
I think that's a pretty telling quote from Pruitt. And it kind of helps fans and media analysts understand why Pruitt didn't make a move sooner.
If Maurer and Guarantano are similar in skill set, then it's understandable why Pruitt didn't see the difference in leadership. Maurer couldn't show his leadership skills until he was given the opportunity. It's not like Pruitt was just going to hand over the reigns to an inexperienced true freshman on a whim. Guarantano had the experience, so he was going to get plenty of chances — especially after beating Auburn last season — to lead the Vols.
While it's obvious that Maurer is the right choice moving forward, it wasn't an obvious choice for the staff before. Otherwise, he would've been the guy. Pruitt and his assistants are trying to win every time they step onto the field. They made a choice based on experience and the high probability that Maurer wouldn't be an upgrade over Guarantano.
True freshmen quarterbacks are almost never ready to lead a SEC team. For every Trevor Lawrence, there are 25 backup quarterbacks that most of the nation has never heard of. The odds aren't in favor of a true freshman succeeding.
The Vols might have something special in Maurer. His leadership abilities are rare. And those abilities could propel Tennessee to an exciting second half of the season.
Featured image via USA Today
