Tennessee’s top quarterback prospects for 2016
With Austin Kendall’s decommitment from the Vols, who will emerge as Butch Jones’ next elite quarterback prospect?
Austin Kendall announced through his Twitter account (A_Kendall11) Tuesday morning that he was going to “reopen [his] recruitment,” leaving Tennessee without a committed quarterback thus far in the 2016 recruiting class. Here are Tennessee’s top two options at quarterback for now:
Jarrett Guarantano
Guarantano is a 6’4″, 200 pound quarterback from Bergen Catholic High School in New Jersey. The 247Sports recruiting database has given him a 4-star rating and has him ranked as the No. 5 player in New Jersey. He is scheduled to visit Tennessee in two weeks, and the Vols’ chances are looking even better after Austin Kendall’s decommitment. Guarantano has exactly what Tennessee is looking for in a quarterback. He can run and scramble with elite speed, and his physical frame and strength make him hard to bring down. In his seven games at the helm last season, he ran for over 5oo yards and five touchdowns before a fractured wrist sidelined him for the season. He has tremendous throwing power and a canny ability to hit his receivers while on the move. Guarantano has the speed and passing ability to take Tennessee’s offense to an elite level.
Film: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3418377/highlights/176941379/v2
Tylin Oden
Oden is a bit undersized, but for what he lacks in weight, he makes up for in his play-making ability. He stands at 6’4″ and 190 pounds and is an in-state prospect from Spring Hill High School. Oden is only ranked as a 3-star prospect and the No. 10 player in the state of Tennessee by 247Sports, but his stock is on the rise. On the ground, he utilizes his blockers and understands how to run a zone-read offense. He has the speed to pull away from defenders in the open field and the shifty ability to make tacklers miss. Oden, like Guarantano, has a strong arm and can throw the deep ball with impressive accuracy. He is smart enough to see when and where his receivers will be open and deliver passes where they need to be for his receivers to get them. If Oden puts on some weight and can maintain his play, he has the potential to be a big time quarterback recruit for Tennessee.
Film: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1454731/highlights/202691375/v2
Edited by Cody McClure
Nathan is a junior at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. He spends most of his free time eating meaningless foods and watching sports. If you wish to contact Nathan, you can email him at wodom3@vols.utk.edu or find him on Twitter, @NathanOdom11.
