Jarrett Guarantano is headed to Washington State

Longtime Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has found a new home. The New Jersey native will head west to Washington State, joining the cougars for the 2021 season. It will be Guarantano’s sixth season of competition at the FBS level.

Guarantano went through a head coaching change and four offensive coordinators during his time in Knoxville, which made it difficult for the former four-star prospect to ever settle in. Still, Guarantano remained Tennessee’s best option under center from 2018 through 2020, before Harrison Bailey and JT Shrout eventually took over as Jeremy Pruitt finally looked to the future.

Guarantano will take advantage of an extra season of eligibility and head to the Pac-12 with one year remaining. The Cougars went 1-3 in 2020 — an abbreviated first year for new head coach Nick Rolovich. Rolovich took over the program last offseason after Mike Leach took the Mississippi State job.

Tennessee how now lost two quarterbacks via transfer this offseason. JT Shrout moved on and landed at Colorado, joining Guarantano in the Pac-12. In response, Tennessee added a transfer of their own, landing Hendon Hooker from Virginia Tech.

Guarantano finishes his Tennessee career with 6,174 yards passing, which is good for seventh all time in program history. His exit officially signals a new era at quarterback for Tennessee, with Harrison Bailey, Brian Maurer, Kaidon Salter and Hendon Hooker set to battle it out beginning this spring.