Any time a quarterback catches the attention of NFL star Cam Newton, you know they’re good. When that quarterback is just a high school recruit, that’s even more noteworthy. And that’s the type of quarterback who will be visiting the Vols this upcoming weekend.
Harrison Bailey is one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2020, and he tweeted out on Wednesday afternoon that he plans on visiting Tennessee this Sunday.
Visiting Tennessee on Saturday ? #Vols
— Harrison Bailey (@HBailey_05) March 28, 2018
Bailey is rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 pro-style quarterback in the 2020 class and the No. 68 overall player in the class. He currently holds offers from over two dozen schools, and he only just completed his sophomore season of football last year. Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Florida State, and many others have all already offered Bailey.
When Bailey was only 14 — that’s right, just 14 years old — he caught the eye of Cam Newton at a 7-on-7 tournament hosted by Newton’s foundation. Newton was wowed by Bailey’s performance at the camp and couldn’t believe that an eighth grader, which Bailey was at the time, was hanging with guys like five-star Jake Fromm and five-star Davis Mills.
Fast forward a few years later, and Bailey has made a name for himself in just two years in high school.
The Vols offered Bailey back in August of 2016, and he visited Tennessee when the Vols hosted Florida during the 2016 season. But this will be his first time visiting Tennessee since the hiring of Jeremy Pruitt and his staff.
Bailey’s highlight film shows off some incredible arm talent and impressive poise in the pocket. Most of his passes are pinpoint accurate, and he can throw a variety of balls. His deep passes are something to behold, as they just float perfectly to receivers and just keep traveling further than you expect them to. He’ll need to develop his mechanics a little more and could use to add some weight to his 6-foot-4 frame, but the intangibles are there, and he has all the talent you could possibly want in a quarterback. He still has two years of high school to work on some of his shortcomings.
Right now there aren’t any recorded stats for Bailey’s sophomore season, and he missed some time due to injury. But as a freshman, he completed 57.3 percent of his 363 pass attempts for 2,812 yards, 21 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions according to MaxPreps. He didn’t run much as a freshman, but he did record two rushing touchdowns.
Bailey has worked with Tony Ballard, a noted quarterback trainer in the Atlanta area. Ballard has worked with current Vol quarterback Jarrett Guarantano in the past, and he’s worked with numerous other talented high school quarterbacks as well. Bailey’s hands already measure in at 11 inches. For comparison, the aforementioned Cam Newton’s hands have measured in at 9 7/8 inches.
The Vols will need to add a quarterback in their 2020 class, and expect Bailey to be one of their top targets. He has the potential to be a program-changer.
One Response
Incredible touch on his balls. I like this kid….and he really stands in the pocket well under pressure.