Ranking The Top Four Quarterbacks Tennessee Will Face in 2024
Credit: Yahoo Sports
By Tucker Harlin
This is my stab at power ranking the quarterbacks Tennessee will face over the course of the 2024 season.
These will be revisited at the end of the season as some quarterbacks will either improve or lose their job as the season progresses
1. Carson Beck, Georgia
It was a two-man race for the top spot on this list, but ultimately Carson Beck won out.
The NFL draft gurus of the world have Beck projected as the first quarterback taken off the board with some saying he could be the No. 1 overall pick.
Beck didn’t have the most electric of starts to 2023, but he proved his worth at the top of the list with his performances later on in the season.
If anything, losing Brock Bowers should help bring attention to how good Beck really is. It’s similar to Bryce Young losing Jameson Williams to the NFL in 2022; it allows for the quarterback to elevate his game and prove he is what makes the pieces around him go.
2. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Jalen Milroe might be one of the best athletes overall the Vols will take on this season. His combination of speed and strength is something that hasn’t been seen in an SEC quarterback since Jalen Hurts was at Alabama.
Along with his athleticism comes an unmatched element of willpower.
Last season, the Crimson Tide wasn’t making the explosive plays we were accustomed to seeing in Saban’s later years. With a lack of star skill players around him, Milroe often found himself taking matters into his own hands.
But it worked. Milroe’s heroics took the Tide back to the College Football Playoff, and such improvisational skills could lend themselves well to another playoff run in 2024.
3. Grayson McCall, NC State
One of several transfers brought in by the Wolfpack this offseason, McCall is going to be a key piece to the puzzle in Raleigh this season.
McCall first received national attention on the 2020 Coastal Carolina team, the group of five darling that season. McCall didn’t stop there as he finished his time in Conway with over 10,000 pass yards, the most by any quarterback in Chanticleer history.
When Jamey Chadwell took the job at Liberty, McCall flirted with the transfer portal but stuck around at Coastal Carolina. After an injury-riddled 2023 season, he transferred to NC State.
Staying healthy will be key to a successful season for both McCall and the Wolfpack, and pairing McCall with talented transfers at the other offensive skill positions should make for a challenge for both Tennessee and the ACC.
4. Graham Mertz, Florida
When Graham Mertz announced he was transferring to Florida at the end of 2022, the reactions around the SEC weren’t exactly fearful.
Mertz had come from a system at Wisconsin that leaned heavily on its running back and didn’t demand excellent quarterback play. Interceptions were a concern as he finished 2021 and 2022 with 10 or more each season.
That was cut way down last season as he threw just three picks to his 20 touchdown passes. The Gators’ offense isn’t the most electrifying in the SEC, but that’s what makes Mertz a good fit for it.
A ball control system needs a quarterback that game manages while making a big play when necessary, and Mertz can do just that.
