Butch Jones requires his quarterback to be an “alpha male,” and a leader of the team when adversity arises.
“That’s part of the job description of being quarterback,” the first-year UT coach said Monday at the season’s first weekly press conference inside Neyland Stadium.
And at least for the beginning of the 2013 season, UT’s alpha male will be Justin Worley.
The junior from Rock Hill, S.C. learned in a meeting with Jones and offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian on Sunday night that – for the time being – he beat out fellow quarterbacks Nathan Peterman, Riley Ferguson and Joshua Dobbs for the starting quarterback job.
“I guess just knowing officially that I am the starter, there is a sense of relief,” Worley said Monday. “It’s an honor and privilege to play quarterback here.”
Peterman, a redshirt freshman, is listed second on the depth chart, and Jones said his staff has yet to decide who would be UT’s third quarterback, if the Vols needed one.
All four quarterbacks practiced with the starters at times during fall camp, but Worley – the only one with game experience – took most of the first-team reps.
Jones did not rule out the possibility of playing Peterman on Saturday, but he and Bajakian encouraged Worley to take the reigns with confidence heading into his first season as a full-time starter.
“Take control of this team,” Jones told Worley when they met on Sunday. “It’s your team and take the opportunity and run with it.”
Competition at all positions will remain open, but Jones is hopeful that it motivates Worley more than it stresses him.
“That’s on him,” Jones said. “Any great competitor, you don’t ever look back behind you. You keep looking forward and continue to progress and get better, and Justin is extremely competitive.
“We don’t ever want to create a scenario where they’re always looking behind them. But that’s the world we live in. That’s football.”
When Tyler Bray injured his thumb in 2011, Worley started three games, throwing for 604 yards over a trio of contests that included a win against Middle Tennessee and losses to Arkansas and South Carolina.
Around the depth chart
Freshmen receivers Marquez North, Jason Croom and Josh Smith combine with sophomore Alton “Pig” Howard to comprise the first-team receiving corps on the depth chart.
Rajion Neal and Marlin Lane are listed first and second, respectively, at the tailback position on the depth chart, and Tom Smith has surpassed Alden Hill for the third position.
Defensively, Cameron Sutton will start at cornerback after impressing coaches throughout fall camp.
The 6-foot-1 Jonesboro, Ga. native was the first of UT’s freshman class to have the black stripe removed from his helmet during fall camp, a sign of officially being welcomed into the program.
“The guy comes in, works hard,” senior linebacker Dontavis Sapp said of Sutton on Monday. “He’s always asking what he can do better … he works hard. I think he’ll be ready.”
Jones didn’t rule out the possibility that junior linebacker Curt Maggitt could play Saturday, but he did say that defensive ends Jacques Smith and Corey Vereen will be out.
