‘You look at him and everybody would say he’s ahead of schedule’ – Tennessee Vols have a future superstar at an important position
The Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback in 2025 is likely going to be UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar. Aguilar hasn’t officially won the job, but On3’s Pete Nakos reported this week that it’s “trending” toward the former Bruins quarterback winning Tennessee’s quarterback battle. Aguilar, however, likely isn’t the most talented quarterback on the roster. That title probably […]
The Tennessee Vols’ starting quarterback in 2025 is likely going to be UCLA transfer Joey Aguilar.
Aguilar hasn’t officially won the job, but On3’s Pete Nakos reported this week that it’s “trending” toward the former Bruins quarterback winning Tennessee’s quarterback battle.
Aguilar, however, likely isn’t the most talented quarterback on the roster. That title probably belongs to true freshman George MacIntyre, who isn’t expected to win the starting job mostly because he still needs to add some weight to his frame.
VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs joined 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will on Friday and he shared the latest on MacIntyre’s development.
“I think that you would look at him and everybody would say [he’s] ahead of schedule,” said Hubbs. “George does two things really well. One, his blood pressure is about 87 over 64 24 hours a day. Throw a touchdown [and he] never changes. Throw an interception [and he] never changes. Has a busted play — we’re fine, let’s go play the next one. He checks into something that yields a 50-yard run, yeah, okay, that’s what we’re supposed to do. He’s even keel.
“And I think that’s vital at that position. I think that’s unusual for a young player to be that even keel. I think at that point, emotion, sometimes for younger quarterbacks, comes into play. It doesn’t seem to with George. I think the other thing George does really well is he’s quick to process. He sees it, he feels that, he throws it, he makes quick decisions, and he gets going. And I think those two things are why he’s remained in this race and has had the camp that he’s had. So I think that George has sped up his process of being able to manage this offense the way that you want him to, and I think he’ll continue to get better and better.”
“The question is going to be, for me, I don’t think George is going to start the first game,” continued Hubbs. “I think it’s an upset if George is starting early in the year. I think we all would agree that that’s likely the case. I don’t think you’re going to put him out there against Syracuse to start the season. Where are they in the backup role? How do they divvy up the reps starting next week between, you know, who’s the number two and then who’s the number three? How does that happen and how much does George continue to improve throughout the fall? I think there’s a lot of people really happy George MacIntyre is wearing orange and where he’s at in his progression as a quarterback right now.”
No one knows how the quarterback situation will play out in 2025 for the Vols. But I would bet on MacIntyre seeing some significant snaps for Tennessee at some point this fall.
If not for his youth and thin frame (which he’s working on), MacIntyre would likely be the best option to start for the Vols due to his ability to process quickly (very important in Josh Heupel’s offense) and his quiet confidence (very important in any offense).
Tennessee Volunteers News
Key Vols team leader indirectly disputes Nico Iamaleava’s claim about Tennessee’s loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff
At Big Ten Media Days earlier this summer, former Tennessee Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava was asked about UT’s loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first round of the College Football Playoff last season. Iamaleava, who transferred to UCLA in April, told reporters that the cold weather played a part in making the game […]
