Josh Heupel provides latest update on Tennessee quarterback competition

Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel still does not know who his starting quarterback will be to open the 2021 season. Hendon Hooker, Joe Milton, and Harrison Bailey are battling in a tight three-way fight for the first-team reps.

Heupel doesn’t know when he will announce the starter

It was a four-man competition for the majority of camp before redshirt sophomore Brian Mauer entered the transfer portal last week. His departure left Hooker, Milton, and Bailey in a virtual three-way heat for the job.

Hooker spent three seasons at Virginia Tech prior to joining Tennessee this year. He only played a significant role in each of the last two seasons. Hooker threw for 2,894 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for over 1,000 yards and 15 scores.

Milton joins Tennessee after three seasons with the Michigan Wolverines. In his career so far, he has completed 56.6 percent of his passes with 1,194 yards, eight total touchdowns and six interceptions. Bailey is entering his second season with the Volunteers and he played sparingly last season. On the year, Bailey completed an impressive 70.6 percent of his passes on 68 attempts with 578 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Heupel said on Monday that no decisions have been made regarding the quarterback battle.

“No decisions have been made,” Heupel said. “Those guys have been great, continue to compete. We’ll see where we are here at the end of the week.”

Heupel won’t announce QB1 until someone earns it

Tennessee opens its season in just over a week when it hosts Bowling Green on Thursday, September 2. Despite the season approaching quickly, the team doesn’t know who will start at quarterback. Heupel said that the team trusts all three players vying for the job.

“They don’t,” Heupel said when asked if the players know who will start at quarterback. “I said it in the beginning, once we’ve had a guy who has earned it and proven it in some respects, not just to the staff but to the teammates, then you’re able to announce the guy. I think our football team has great trust in all three of those guys – the way they’ve competed, continued growing and gotten better. When we’re ready to name a guy, we will.”

When picking a quarterback, there are a few physical and mental traits that Heupel looks for. His signal-caller needs to most importantly be able to lead the team.

“Physically there are a lot of different traits,” Heupel said. “Some are big, some are small. Some are freaking fast, some have a big, strong arm, some are great anticipation throwers. At the end of the day, I think competitive spirit is the number one thing they’ve got to have. They’ve got to be wired in a way that they’re going to compete. In the building, when they are with their teammates, or by themselves, every day.

“I think that leads to a leadership trait, too, in that 10 other guys, but ultimately 120 on the football team really buy into you and that starts with your work habits. The guys competing for the job here have all done that in a really positive way. There are similar traits between all of them, but there are some differences too. At the end of the day, as the head coach and as a staff you have to trust that guy with the ball. He’s going to be your lead decision maker and he’s got to be sound at what he does.”