4-star Vols commit details how he trolled Georgia fans before committing to Tennessee
One of the Tennessee Vols' top commits in their 2024 recruiting class is four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger. Merklinger, 6-foot-3/195 lbs from Savannah, GA, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 10 quarterback in the nation and the No. 15 player in the state of Georgia. The talented quarterback committed to Tennessee in late […]
One of the Tennessee Vols' top commits in their 2024 recruiting class is four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger.
Merklinger, 6-foot-3/195 lbs from Savannah, GA, is rated in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 10 quarterback in the nation and the No. 15 player in the state of Georgia.
The talented quarterback committed to Tennessee in late March.
On Tuesday, Merklinger joined 104.5 The Zone's 3HL at the On3 NIL elite series in Nashville.
During Merklinger's appearance on 3HL, he detailed the time he "trolled" Georgia fans at his high school homecoming dance.
Merklinger explained that he wasn't able to attend Tennessee's big win over Alabama last fall because his homecoming dance got moved to the Third Saturday in October.
"The Alabama game, I was supposed to go to," said Merklinger. "I wasn't committed yet, but I was supposed to go. My homecoming dance got moved because a hurricane came through Savannah and it had to be rescheduled. So I get to watch half the game [until] halftime and then have to go to the dance. So I'm like, oh no, I can't watch the rest of the game. So me and my buddies are watching on our phones in the middle of the homecoming dance. They win. So then we got the DJ for the dance to play Rocky Top."
Merklinger pointed out earlier in the interview that he comes from an area of Georgia that's full of Bulldogs fans, so I'm sure playing Rocky Top didn't go over very well.
"I do come from a mainly Georgia area, though," said Merklinger. "South Georgia is a big, you know, 'Go Dawgs' [area]. My mom actually even went to Georgia."
Considering the rejuvenated rivalry between Georgia and Tennessee (especially between the fan bases), it should certainly make Vols fans smile that one of their high-profile commits is more than happy to rep the Power T in Bulldogs country.
And it sounds like Mama Merklinger will be trading in her red and black for orange and white starting next fall.
Merklinger was kind of an under-the-radar addition to the Vols' 2024 recruiting class because of the presence of true freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava on the roster. But Merklinger could end up giving Nico a run for his money in Knoxville. Merklinger isn't afraid of a challenge and he's coming to Tennessee to compete, not to be a backup.
Featured image via Kyunnie Shuman/For Savannah Morning News
