George MacIntyre is doing QB1 stuff for the Vols, but there’s one thing Tennessee fans will need to accept if he’s the starter in 2026
Tennessee Vols fans still have no clue who the starting quarterback will be in 2026.
Who will start at quarterback for the Tennessee Vols in 2026?
That’s the question that everyone on Rocky Top is trying to answer right now.
The Vols entered January with the expectation they would land a starting-caliber quarterback out of the transfer portal, but it doesn’t look like that will happen.
After missing on a couple of top targets, including Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is now in a spot where his best quarterback solution will likely be to bring in an option to compete with rising redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and incoming true freshman Faizon Brandon.
VolQuest’s Austin Price suggested on Wednesday during an appearance on WNML’s Josh and Swain that Tennessee could look to the FCS level for a transfer quarterback.
“I still think Tennessee goes the FCS route and tries to bring somebody in from those ranks,” said Price. “And that’s kind of where I expect it to be. I don’t expect Tennessee to take anybody from the Power-4 level at this point. Now, again, obviously, that could change. But as we sit here on Wednesday, it looks like, I would say, more the FCS route for somebody to compete — that has some experience and that’s probably won some games at that level — against George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon.”
At this point, as Price noted, the most likely scenario is that Tennessee brings in a transfer FCS quarterback to compete with MacIntyre and Brandon. It’s impossible to know how that battle would play out, but I think it would be fair to label MacIntyre, a rising redshirt freshman, as the favorite.
George MacIntyre is doing QB1 things, but Vols fans will need to show patience if he wins the starting job
MacIntyre is attacking this offseason like he plans to be the Vols’ starting quarterback in 2026.
The Tennessee native went to Miami this week to throw with a few of the Vols’ top pass catchers — wide receivers Braylon Staley, Mike Matthews, Joakim Dodson, and Travis Smith, along with tight end DaSaahn Brame.
Whether he wins the job or not, that’s QB1 behavior from MacIntyre. That kind of offseason work is what leads to elite quarterback-receiver chemistry on Saturdays in the fall.
MacIntyre’s talent is undeniable. The only reason there’s some hesitancy about him possibly being the Vols’ starting quarterback in 2026 is because of his inexperience (nine career pass attempts) and his weight (MacIntyre could stand to bulk up due to the hits he’ll take from SEC defenders).
“George MacIntyre can functionally play the quarterback position with his arm and stuff at the weight he’s at now — no problem,” said VolQuest’s Austin Price this week on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “But when you take hit after hit after hit, how does he survive?”
“George needs the extra weight to be able to handle that. And again, he can get there. He just has to really put it on over the next six months or so.”
The 2026 season doesn’t start for another seven months, so MacIntyre still has plenty of time to add some weight to his 6-6 frame.
There’s nothing MacIntyre can do, however, about his inexperience. He just has to go play.
But here’s the thing: As high as MacIntyre’s ceiling is, he will make mistakes if he’s the starter in 2026. And those mistakes may come in critical moments. That won’t mean MacIntyre is a “bust,” “overrated,” or anything like that. Young players always make mistakes. It’s part of the development process and a key part of growing as a player (which everyone forgets in the NIL era).
MacIntyre has a year of practicing in Heupel’s system under his belt, and he’s a quarterback the Vols really like. Rolling with MacIntyre next fall, despite his lack of game experience, wouldn’t be a bad idea. But it will only work if fans are OK with Tennessee possibly missing the College Football Playoff for a second straight year.
And that’s not a prediction — MacIntyre may win the Heisman Trophy if he’s the starter for all I know — but going with a first-year starter at quarterback is a risk for any program. But it’s a risk that could pay off in a big way in 2027 with an experienced MacIntyre back to run the offense.
Unfortunately, the new playoff-or-bust mentality makes this a tough ask for Heupel and for Vols fans. Heupel probably feels like he has to win 10 games in 2026 or else he’ll be on the hot seat at the end of the season (which is absurd, but that’s college football now).
So instead of focusing on developing quarterbacks the right way, Heupel’s focus has to be on finding the quarterback that can win the most games in 2026. College football is basically just like travel baseball now — winning instantly means more than development….and players want immediate playing time, or they’ll switch teams until they find it.
If Heupel knew the Tennessee fan base would be okay with MacIntyre starting and the program going 8-5 or 9-4 while being set up for major success in 2027, then I think we’d see the Vols go all-in on GMac in 2026.
But I’m not sure the fan base will be on board with that scenario, which means the pressure will be on Heupel, regardless of who starts in 2026. It’s not necessarily fair, nor is it what’s healthy for the players or the sport, but it’s the reality of college football right now.
It’s a tough situation to navigate, but Heupel is making $9 million a year to navigate it. It’s on him to find a solution that will make everyone happy.
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