Keller Chryst addition more proof that Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt isn't just thinking long-term

Anytime a program makes a coaching change, there’s heightened interest in the next season. But the interest in Tennessee’s next season increased even more when Stanford quarterback Keller Chryst announced last week that he would join the Vols as a graduate transfer.

Now you have a new coach, and a new quarterback competition, which will begin in earnest when Chryst arrives for preseason camp. You also have an appreciation for coach Jeremy Pruitt’s sense of urgency.

A coaching transition is all about change – a change in offense, defense and philosophy. And, as we hear so often now, the culture must be changed.

All of that takes time. However, as Pruitt lays the foundation for his program, he’s not ignoring the present.

His recruiting reflects that. He pursued and signed junior college recruits who might be equipped to contribute immediately. Chryst’s announcement is another reminder that Pruitt isn’t just a long-range planner

The Vols could be hard-pressed to have a winning season in 2018. But, at least Pruitt is taking steps toward that goal. And that’s vital to a long-suffering fan base that cringes when it hears “rebuilding.”

You shouldn’t assume Chryst will be Tennessee’s starting quarterback in 2018. After all, he lost his starting job at Stanford. Also, the Vols have a returning starter in Jarrett Guarantano.

However, Chryst’s skill set fits the pro-style offense Pruitt intends to implement. His skill set would fit even better if he had the kind of offensive line and tight ends that have figured so prominently in Stanford’s recent success.   

But Chryst will bolster a quarterbacking corps that already has lost Quinten Dormady, UT’s starter for the first half of the 2017 season. Dormady announced last month that he’s transferring.

It’s not out of the question that another UT quarterback will transfer before next season. Will McBride, who started the Missouri game last season when Guarantano was injured, might find a better chance for playing time somewhere else now that the Vols have a new coach and a new offensive system.

That’s why the addition of Chryst is so important. It’s also significant that UT’s new staff succeeded in signing another quarterback, J.T. Shrout. He’s a pro-style passer from Newhall, Calif.

In a best-case scenario, Chryst would be with the Vols for spring practice. But he wouldn’t be transferring unless he thought he had a good chance of winning the starting job, even though he can’t join Tennessee for spring practice later this month.

That will give Guarantano a head start with the new staff. In fact, he will be competing against a quarterback who isn’t here.

But Guarantano should be accustomed to competition by now. He lost out to Dormady last year before winning the job in midseason.

Guarantano had ups and downs as a redshirt freshman. While his decision-making was often too slow, that’s hardly uncommon for a first-time college player. But he has a strong arm and became more accurate as the season went along.

He didn’t have much help, either. UT’s offensive line was a mess, and there was a shortage of playmakers at wide receiver.

Maybe, he will benefit from better coaching this go-round. But whether he succeeds, Tennessee at least has more options at quarterback with the signing of Shrout and the addition of Chryst. 

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: Twitter.com/johnadamskns.