Power-4 quarterback with connections to Tennessee enters NCAA transfer portal, but he may not make sense for the Vols
The Tennessee Vols could be in the market for a transfer quarterback this offseason.
The Tennessee Vols could be in the market for a transfer quarterback this offseason.
There’s a chance that Joey Aguilar, who started all 12 regular season games for the Vols in 2025, could return next season.
But that’s dependent on the NCAA granting Aguilar an additional season of eligibility. For now, it’s unclear when that ruling will come down. With the portal set to open on January 2, the timing may force the Volunteers to move on from Aguilar and explore other transfer options.
The Vols’ other quarterback options for next season are true freshman George MacIntyre, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger, and five-star signee Faizon Brandon (the expectation is that Merklinger will enter the portal, but he hasn’t announced a decision yet).
Power-4 quarterback with connections to Tennessee enters NCAA transfer portal
If the Vols pursue a quarterback in the portal, it’s unclear if they’ll target an expensive option (such as Cincinnati transfer Brendan Sorsby) or a more affordable option that can serve as competition in Tennessee’s quarterback room.
Michigan Wolverines quarterback Jadyn Davis is a former Tennessee recruiting target who is expected to enter the transfer portal when it opens on January 2.
Davis is a former four-star recruit from Charlotte, NC who attended the same high school (Providence Day) as Vols offensive tackle David Sanders.
Tennessee offered Davis in 2021 (four months after Josh Heupel was hired as UT’s head coach). Davis visited Tennessee twice in 2021 (he was at the infamous Ole Miss mustard bottle game in Neyland Stadium). The North Carolina native also visited Tennessee for the Vols’ memorable win over Alabama in 2022.
Davis has just two pass attempts in his college career (one of those attempts resulted in an interception).
It wouldn’t make much sense for Tennessee to pursue Davis when Merklinger, who was in the same recruiting class, has more on-field experience — specifically in Josh Heupel’s offense. Tennessee would be better off recruiting Merklinger to stay for another season than pursuing an inexperienced option like Davis.
We’ll see over the next two weeks what Tennessee chooses to do. To this point, it seems no one is sure what path Heupel and his staff will take this offseason when it comes to the quarterback position.
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