former east carolina quarterback gardner minshew, who's planning to move to a new school this year as a graduate transfer, is scheduled to visit alabama this weekend. But the crimson tide aren't the only sec team pursuing him. Minshew told govols247 on wednesday night that new tennessee coach jeremy pruitt's staff has "been showing serious interest" in him, but he's "not sure yet" whether he will visit the vols in the coming weeks.
The brandon, miss., native announced last month that he was leaving east carolina despite being named the pirates' starting quarterback entering the spring. He said he was returning to mississippi to devote his full attention to a family matter in his home state.
The 6-foot-2, 216-pound minshew, who started five games last year at east carolina, is hoping to transfer to a school within driving distance of his hometown. He sent his release to schools in alabama, arkansas, louisiana, mississippi and tennessee, according to multiple reports.
While alabama is widely believed to be the favorite to land him, he said he recently has been in contact with both pruitt and new tennessee offensive coordinator tyson helton. "they're hoping to get me in there in the spring and compete," minshew said. "i could get there for spring ball with their mini-terms, is what they said."
the vols are interested in adding another quarterback going into the 2018 season after rising senior quinten dormady, who started tennessee's first five games last season, announced last month that he's planning to graduate this spring and move to another school as a graduate transfer.
Pruitt's staff signed one quarterback, three-star jt shrout of santa clarita, calif., in the 2018 class. The only scholarship quarterbacks currently on tennessee's roster are jarrett guarantano, who will be a redshirt sophomore during the 2018 season, and rising sophomore will mcbride. Guarantano started six of the vols' final seven games last year.
Minshew, a former three-star prospect at northwest mississippi community college in senatobia, miss., was ranked by 247sports as the no. 7 junior-college, pro-style quarterback in the 2016 class. He played in seven games at east carolina in 2016 and took over as the pirates' starter for the final two games of the season. Last year, he threw for 2,140 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions, playing in 10 games and starting five.
