When Jarrett Guarantano lost his shoe on a play early Saturday against BYU, freshman quarterback Brian Maurer saw his opportunity and took it.

Assuming Tennessee’s redshirt junior QB would need to exit the game for a play to put the shoe back on — it was picked up by a BYU defensive lineman, who threw it across the field to the Vols’ sideline — Maurer trotted into the game to make his Tennessee debut.



He wasn’t told to do so by Tennessee coaches. He just did it.



“That’s our freshmen mentality,” freshman running back Eric Gray said on Tuesday. “That’s actually my roommate. So for him to run out there on the field, I’m like yes Brian is getting in, Brian is getting in, we’re fixing to do it. So I was happy for him.”



Only it didn’t last. The game was stopped long enough for Guarantano to get his shoe back on without leaving the game.



Pruitt explained the situation on Monday, saying Maurer trying to make his collegiate debut doesn’t mean that Maurer is Tennessee’s backup quarterback.



It’s still anyone’s guess as to whether Maurer or redshirt freshman J.T. Shrout would be next up behind Guarantano, who Pruitt backed on Monday despite his struggles during Tennessee’s 0-2 start.



Later on Monday, when Pruitt was speaking to the Knoxville Quarterback Club at Calhoun’s on the River, he was asked about his two young quarterbacks.



First asked about Guarantano, Pruitt said no one inside the Anderson Training Center would tell you that he hasn’t been Tennessee’s best option at quarterback the last six months.



Then he dove into what the Vols have behind their starter.

“JT is really smart,” Pruitt said of Shrout. “Strong arm. Probably not as athletic (as the others), probably the least athletic of the guys. If you watch him during camp, 75 percent of his reps, 75 percent are really, really good.



“There are probably 25 percent where you’re like you can’t do that, it will get you beat. He has a lot of potential down the road. He really does.”



Shrout, who sat out as a redshirt last season, was a three-star prospect out of Newhall, Calif., in the 2018 class, ranked as the No. 26 pro-style quarterback according to the 247Sports Composite.



Maurer was part of the 2019 signing class, another three-star pro-style quarterback, ranked No. 12 at his position by 247Sports.

While it’s what happens 25 percent of the time on the practice field that’s holding Shrout back, Maurer is still making his way through the learning curve at the college level.



“Brian Maurer is a guy that played in a different offense (in high school),” Pruitt said of the Ocala, Fla., native. “It was more of a fast-paced offense, spread and throw the ball around. Not much thinking. Center slides to the field every time. Don’t have to worry about protections.

“But he’s a really good athlete that can run. Probably runs a 4.6 40, has good arm talent and get the ball out of his hands.”

It’s to be determined which quarterback is next on the field for Tennessee and when it will happen, aside from possible mop-up duty against Chattanooga on Saturday.



“I think both of these guys have potential to be really good players,” Pruitt said. “We have to give them an opportunity to be in the game to do that at some point and see where they’re at.



“Right now, it’s like I tell them every week, we don’t have a backup quarterback until you guys decide it for us. We were hoping to be able to get these guys in the game at some point and see how they play. They’re really that close.”

