Tennessee is bringing in a transfer QB for a visit, and it may reveal the Vols’ QB plan for 2026
The Tennessee Vols are set to host a transfer quarterback on a visit.
The Tennessee Vols will reportedly host a transfer quarterback on a visit this weekend.
Tennessee is still in the market for a transfer quarterback after missing on a couple of its top targets.
As a result, Colorado Buffaloes transfer quarterback Ryan Staub is set to visit Tennessee on Sunday.
Staub, 6-1, 200 pounds from Stevenson Ranch, CA, is a former three-star recruit who has passed for 681 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions in his college career.
Staub has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He started two games for the Buffaloes during his time in Boulder.
Ryan Staub’s visit seems to confirm Tennessee’s quarterback plan for 2026
Staub’s visit to Tennessee seems to confirm the Vols’ quarterback plan for the 2026 season.
After striking out on Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt, it appears that Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel has decided that his best option is to give rising redshirt freshman George MacIntyre a legitimate opportunity to win the job.
It’s hard to imagine that Staub, even though he has more experience than MacIntyre, will come in and win the job over MacIntyre. It’s possible, but that would be quite a surprise.
Tennessee’s coaching staff believes in MacIntyre. They believe he can play the quarterback position at a high level. The main concern with MacIntyre, aside from his inexperience, is his weight. Can he withstand big hits from SEC defenders for a full season?
“I think they like his mental side of it,” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will Friday when asked what Tennessee likes about MacIntyre. “I think they like his recall, his understanding, his quick decision making, his solid decision making. It’s certainly not perfect, but I think they like those things. He has to continue to get bigger and stronger. We know that’s become the narrative about George MacIntyre over the last two plus months.
“He’s not put on kind of the size that you would have hoped and wanted in terms of just growing. That doesn’t mean he can’t play. It just means it was a missed opportunity over the course of the last six or seven months to physically be at a better spot than he is right now. Size-wise, again, you can play a 200-pound quarterback, you can play a 195-pound quarterback. But you better keep that guy upright. And you better hope he can take a hit. You better hope he knows how to avoid a hit, because there’s durability concerns. It’s not that he can’t physically play the position. It’s a durability part with his size, and that’s why everybody would like to see him put on more weight.”
If Staub lands with Tennessee, it would almost certainly be as a depth addition.
With no other major names in the portal, Tennessee appears poised to move forward with a plan that will likely result in MacIntyre starting at quarterback next fall.
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