Take Two: Can Bailey lead Vols into SEC title contention?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com national recruiting director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
THE STORYLINE
Harrison Bailey moved up 11 spots in the newest Rivals100 and he’s on the cusp of a five-star ranking. He’s also one of Tennessee’s highest-rated quarterback commits in Rivals' history dating back to 2002.
The only one ranked higher was James Banks in 2002 who finished the cycle at No. 30 nationally. Bailey is currently No. 32. Current Vols quarterback Jarrett Guarantano was No. 37 in the 2016 class and was under serious five-star consideration.
The Marietta, Ga., standout had a phenomenal showing at the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas this summer and is ranked as the second-best pro-style quarterback in the class behind only D.J. Uiagalelei, the No. 1 overall recruit.
Tennessee fans are thrilled. Bailey is helping recruit for this class and that could mean bringing five-star tight end and teammate Arik Gilbert to Knoxville along with other elite playmakers such as current LSU WR commit Rakim Jarrett, another five-star.
Only once in the last eight seasons has a Tennessee quarterback finished in the top 8 in the SEC in quarterback rating. Can Bailey finally be the guy to lead the Vols back into contention for conference titles?
MORE VOLS: Class of 2020 commitment list
FIRST TAKE: CHAD SIMMONS, SOUTHEAST RECRUITING ANALYST
“Bailey is a natural leader, and it starts there for him. He has always had that in him, but his game is really trending up for me this off-season. He’s always had a good arm, he’s always had a good head on his shoulders and he’s always been able to throw beautiful deep balls.
"Now he’s in the best shape of his high school career and he could be on the path to making a big impact in Knoxville. Bailey is a quarterback others want to play with and will play hard for, so he is definitely a player the Tennessee fans should be excited about and, yes, he can be one that could help the Vols take that next step.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, NATIONAL RECRUITING DIRECTOR
“He’s a really good 7-on-7 quarterback, solid in games, but if the pieces aren’t there, I don’t care how good you are. Guarantano was almost a five-star and he’s more mobile than Bailey and he’s struggling. The offensive line has been an issue. They don’t have a ton of playmakers on that roster. It really depends on what talent they recruit around him.
“I don’t think a quarterback can really do it in college football by himself unless he’s a Lamar Jackson-type who can run and throw at an elite level and Bailey isn’t that guy.”