Interesting QB enters the transfer portal that could be a good fit for Tennessee Vols
Landing a quarterback in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason isn't a must for the Tennessee Vols, but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea. Former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava is expected to start at quarterback for the Vols in 2024. He'll be backed up by true freshman Jake Merklinger and redshirt senior Gaston Moore […]
Landing a quarterback in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason isn't a must for the Tennessee Vols, but it probably wouldn't be a bad idea.
Former five-star recruit Nico Iamaleava is expected to start at quarterback for the Vols in 2024. He'll be backed up by true freshman Jake Merklinger and redshirt senior Gaston Moore (a walk-on).
That's a young quarterback room without much experience.
Tennessee would be wise to add a quarterback to that room for a couple of reasons:
- Give Nico some legitimate competition
- Provide the team with some insurance in case of injury
The Vols likely won't attract any of the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal, such as Mississippi State quarterback Will Rogers, due to the presence of Nico. But that shouldn't stop them from pursuing a couple of names in the portal.
One name that could make sense for Tennessee is Miami Hurricanes quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who hit the portal on Monday.
Van Dyke has struggled with turnovers at times while at Miami. But he's completed over 63 percent of his passes with the Hurricanes while playing in an offensive system the last two years that wasn't a great fit for him.
The former four-star recruit is at his best when he's playing in an up-tempo spread offense, which is why he'd be a great fit for the Vols. (Van Dyke was at his best at Miami under offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, who left after the 2021 season to become the head coach at SMU.)
Van Dyke, of course, has to show interest in Tennessee for this potential marriage to make sense. He'd have to be willing to compete with Nico. And he'd have to accept that the most likely scenario at Tennessee for him would be sitting behind Nico and waiting his turn (either due to injury or if Nico is ineffective). The payoff for Van Dyke, if he can find a way to the field for the Vols, could be drastically improving his draft stock.
It's at least worth a phone call for Josh Heupel and his offensive staff.
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