Former Tennessee Vols QB lands with NFC West franchise
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Jarrett Guarantano signed an undrafted free agent deal this week with the Arizona Cardinals. Guarantano received the deal after a successful tryout during Arizona's rookie minicamp. The former four-star recruit spent five seasons at Tennessee before transferring to Washington State for his final season of eligibility. Guarantano's best collegiate season came […]
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Jarrett Guarantano signed an undrafted free agent deal this week with the Arizona Cardinals.
Guarantano received the deal after a successful tryout during Arizona's rookie minicamp.
The former four-star recruit spent five seasons at Tennessee before transferring to Washington State for his final season of eligibility.
Guarantano's best collegiate season came in 2019 when he passed for 2,158 yards, 16 touchdowns, and eight interceptions.
The New Jersey native was never in a great situation with the Vols. After taking a redshirt year in 2016, Guarantano spent the 2017 season in a less-than-ideal situation under Butch Jones.
Guarantano's redshirt freshman season got off to a bad start after Jones, according to a source, told him he was going to start the season-opener against Georgia Tech. But just before the start of the game, Jones told Guarantano that Quinten Dormady would be starting instead. According to the source, the late decision by Jones fractured the Tennessee locker room and set the tone for a disappointing 4-8 season.
Guarantano then played for three seasons under Jeremy Pruitt and two different offensive coordinators. Thanks to the multiple position coaches, coordinators, and a pandemic-impacted season, Guarantano, who proved to be incredibly tough during his time in Knoxville (even playing with a broken hand at one point), was never able to find his groove.
There's no doubt that Guarantano has a strong arm. And he has a lot of SEC starting experience. It's not a surprise that an NFL team is taking a chance on Guarantano based on his natural abilities and extensive starting experience.
Featured image via Rob Schumacher/The Republic, Arizona Republic via Imagn Content Services
