A transfer quarterback that would be a perfect fit for the Tennessee Vols’ offense just became available

The Tennessee Vols are expected to target a quarterback in the transfer portal, though it’s unclear at this point if they’ll target a marquee option or someone who can provide some depth. For now, the feeling is that Joey Aguilar, who started all 12 regular season games for the Vols in 2025, will be moving […]

Zach Ragan — Tennessee Volunteers News Writer
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The Tennessee Vols are expected to target a quarterback in the transfer portal, though it’s unclear at this point if they’ll target a marquee option or someone who can provide some depth.

For now, the feeling is that Joey Aguilar, who started all 12 regular season games for the Vols in 2025, will be moving on (there’s a slight chance he could return — if he’s granted another season of eligibility…more on that here).

Additionally, redshirt freshman quarterback Jake Merklinger is a strong transfer candidate, which would leave true freshman George MacIntyre and five-star signee Faizon Brandon as the Volunteers’ only scholarship quarterbacks next fall.

Going into a season with two quarterbacks that have a combined nine pass attempts in college (all by MacIntyre) certainly isn’t ideal — especially with a nine-game conference schedule coming to the SEC in 2026.

Transfer quarterback that would be a perfect fit for Tennessee’s offense just became available

One of the challenges of landing a quarterback in the transfer portal is finding one that’s a good scheme fit.

In an ideal world, the Vols would find a quarterback with some experience in an offensive system similar to Josh Heupel’s.

One player that would be a great option for the Vols is North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who is reportedly expected to enter the transfer portal.

Mestemaker passed for 4,129 yards, 31 touchdowns and seven interceptions while playing in an Air Raid offense at North Texas in 2025 (he also rushed for five touchdowns).

Tennessee doesn’t run the Air Raid under Heupel, but there are some concepts that overlap that would make the transition to the Vols’ offense easier (Heupel played under Mike Leach at Oklahoma in 1999, and coached an Air Raid-inspired offense for the Sooners for nearly a decade).

Mestemaker played some safety in high school as a way to get onto the field. That experience has been beneficial to Mestemaker as a college quarterback.

“The way he sees defenses, when we break stuff down in the meeting room, he’s able to truly understand the coverages and the run fits and how it all matches together,” said North Texas quarterbacks coach Sean Brophy to ESPN in November. “We’ll be talking in meetings and he’ll say, ‘We did something similar to that at Vandegrift,’ and he’s able to take that with him onto the field.”

Will Drew Mestemaker follow his old coach to Oklahoma State?

Mestemaker, who, oddly enough, never started a varsity football game in high school at quarterback, is expected to be a coveted transfer player when the portal opens on January 2.

It’s possible that Mestemaker could follow his former coach at North Texas, Eric Morris, to Oklahoma State (Morris was recently hired by Oklahoma State to replace Mike Gundy as the program’s head coach).

CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz, however, reported on Tuesday afternoon that it’s not a foregone conclusion that Mestemaker will follow Morris to Oklahoma State.

Recent quarterbacks coached by Morris who later transferred to Power-4 schools include Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and John Mateer, currently the starting quarterback for playoff-bound Oklahoma.

Maybe Mestemaker is the next hidden gem to come from the Eric Morris quarterback farm.

Again, Heupel’s plans for his quarterback room in 2026 are unknown at this point, but Mestemaker is certainly a player the Vols should at least evaluate before the portal opens next month.

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