Tennessee football is on a collision course with a big roster problem, but Josh Heupel may already have the perfect answer
The Tennessee Vols are almost certainly going to have a quarterback issue in 2027, but Josh Heupel may already have the answer.
The Tennessee Vols are on a collision course with a roster problem in 2027.
We obviously don’t know exactly how the 2026 season is going to play out, but it feels very likely that Tennessee will lose one of its top two quarterbacks after the 2026 season.
If things go to plan, Faizon Brandon will end the season as Tennessee’s unquestioned starting quarterback and enter the 2027 season as one of the top players in college football.
In that scenario, George MacIntyre will probably transfer so he can have an opportunity to win a starting job somewhere.
It’s also possible that Brandon could falter this fall and MacIntyre could emerge as the best option for the Volunteers moving forward. Either way, it’s highly unlikely that Brandon and MacIntyre are both on the roster in 2027.
And that means the Vols will be without a true No. 2 quarterback (Ryan Staub will be eligible for a fifth season in 2027, but I don’t know that Tennessee would be comfortable with him as the top backup option).
Josh Heupel already has the solution to his “quarterback problem” in 2027
The good news for Tennessee is that it appears Josh Heupel has already solved his looming “quarterback problem.”
2027 three-star quarterback Derrick Baker, a Vols commit since February, looks like the type of player who could make an impact as a true freshman if needed.
Baker, 6-foot/235 pounds, is criminally underrated. He plays like a bigger and more talented version of former Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia.
The Georgia native, for example, can throw on the run with accuracy, as he showed on Friday night.
That’s a high level throw.
Baker is also incredibly difficult to tackle.
Baker can do damage with his legs, which means he could be dangerous as a true freshman if needed. He’s also built like a linebacker, so he could withstand some of the hits he’d receive from SEC defenders (plus an offseason with Vols strength coach Derek Owings would have him in even better shape).
It’s tough in this current era of college football to build quarterback depth due to the transfer portal. But with Baker, I think Heupel found the best solution he possibly could have.
