Tennessee QB Jarrett Guarantano transfers to Washington State
Jarrett Guarantano is heading to the Pac-12.
The Tennessee quarterback announced Friday night that he was heading to Washington State. Guarantano started the 2020 season as Tennessee’s starter but was replaced by Harrison Bailey as the Volunteers finished the season 3-7.
Unbelievable opportunity! Truly thankful and can’t wait to get to work! #GoCougs @WSUCougarFB pic.twitter.com/hJV4foOqZt
— Jarrett Guarantano✞ (@BroadwayJay2) January 9, 2021
Guarantano is transferring to Washington State to use the extra year of eligibility that’s afforded him by the NCAA’s COVID-19 rule granted to all college athletes this year.
Guarantano got significant playing time in each of his four seasons at Tennessee. He played in nine games as a freshman in 2017 and threw 139 passes.
That propelled him to Tennessee’s starting QB in 2018 and 2019. But Guarantano never played well enough across a full season to establish himself as the undisputed starter. He threw 28 touchdowns over those two seasons and tossed 11 interceptions while throwing for over 4,000 yards.
Things regressed in 2020. Guarantano was 103-of-166 passing but threw for just 1,112 yards. The 6.7 yards per attempt was the lowest passing average of his career. He also threw just six touchdowns to four interceptions.
Guarantano’s last playing time came in UT’s seventh game of the season. He was 15-of-23 passing for 156 yards and an interception in a loss to Auburn. That was Tennessee’s fifth consecutive loss — the Vols ended the season losing seven of their last eight games.
The New Jersey native was a four-star recruit in the class of 2016. He was the No. 3 dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2016.
In transferring to Washington State he joins a quarterback room that features freshman Jayden De Laura. He was the team’s main quarterback in 2020 as the Cougars went 1-3. De Laura was 78-of-129 passing for 886 yards and threw five TDs to four interceptions.
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