The Tennessee Vols’ quarterback battle had an interesting twist, but it may not change the outcome
The Tennessee Vols’ quarterback competition in fall camp is one of the most intriguing position battles in college football. After losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the transfer portal near the end of spring practice, Tennessee is in the midst of a three-man quarterback battle among UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, and […]
The Tennessee Vols’ quarterback competition in fall camp is one of the most intriguing position battles in college football.
After losing starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to the transfer portal near the end of spring practice, Tennessee is in the midst of a three-man quarterback battle among UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, and true freshman George MacIntyre.
Tennessee held its first fall scrimmage this past Saturday and there was an interesting twist in the quarterback battle.
MacIntyre, according to a report from On3’s Pete Nakos, had “arguably the best day of any quarterback”.
“Sources told On3 that true freshman George MacIntyre arguably had the best day of any quarterback,” wrote Nakos. “As VolQuest first reported and pointed out, however, MacIntyre was not going against the first-team defense.”
The feeling among fans and analysts is that Tennessee’s quarterback battle is between Aguilar and Merklinger.
MacIntyre, however, appears to be the most talented of the three quarterbacks. The Nashville native, though, isn’t considered a serious threat to win the job during fall camp mostly due to his size. MacIntyre needs to continue to add weight to his frame.
This is a situation where MacIntyre may be the best quarterback on the roster, but he may not be physically ready just yet for the grind of the SEC.
It’s not out of the question that MacIntyre could make an impact in 2025 — it just probably won’t be in the first month of the season.
It feels like the likely outcome of this competition is that Aguilar wins the job in fall camp, and MacIntyre pushes for serious playing time by the end of the year. That sets up for MacIntyre to start as a redshirt freshman in 2026 (with incoming five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon serving as the top backup….if Merklinger doesn’t play much in 2025, he’ll be on transfer watch after the season).
MacIntyre’s strong performance during fall camp certainly makes Vols head coach Josh Heupel’s decision a bit tougher, but it probably won’t enough to alter the outcome of this battle.
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