Recruiting analyst gives take on under-the-radar Vols commit that could be a major SEC star
Amidst the flurry of offseason activities in the SEC, one move that has flown somewhat under the radar is the Tennessee Vols' addition of four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger to their highly promising 2024 recruiting class. Merklinger committed to Tennessee in late March over offers from Auburn, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech, […]
Amidst the flurry of offseason activities in the SEC, one move that has flown somewhat under the radar is the Tennessee Vols' addition of four-star quarterback Jake Merklinger to their highly promising 2024 recruiting class.
Merklinger committed to Tennessee in late March over offers from Auburn, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech, among others.
Merklinger, 6-foot-3/193 lbs from Savannah, GA, is ranked in 247Sports' composite rankings as the No. 8 quarterback in the nation and the No. 10 player in the state of Georgia. He's also rated as the No. 68 overall player in the 2024 recruiting class.
Merklinger isn't exactly underrated, but it feels like he's not quite as hyped as he should be, either.
That's in part because the Vols signed five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava in the 2023 recruiting class and they're targeting five-star quarterback George MacIntyre in the 2025 recruiting class.
Merklinger, however, has star potential in the SEC. And Rivals.com national recruiting director Adam Gorney thinks the Georgia native is a perfect fit in Tennessee's offense.
From Rivals.com: The four-star quarterback from Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day seems like a perfect fit in Tennessee’s offense since it’s so quarterback-friendly and Merklinger is someone who could move even higher in the rankings through this offseason. He’s outstanding throwing the deep pass, the ball pops off his hand, he is asked to make some difficult throws in Calvary Day’s offense and he has no problem doing it and he should fit in seamlessly with the Vols.
Merklinger committed to the Vols despite the presence of Iamaleava and the fact that Tennessee is hoping to land an elite quarterback in the 2025 class.
That tells us that Merklinger isn't afraid of competition. And those are the types of players that end up being wildly successful in the SEC and eventually the NFL.
It's obviously far too early to project what type of player Merklinger will be for the Vols or even what kind of opportunity he'll get in Knoxville. But Tennessee fans should be absolutely thrilled that he's part of the Vols' 2024 recruiting class. He could very well end up being a superstar for Tennessee.
