Tennessee Vols head coach Josh Heupel has plenty to evaluate this offseason after an uneven 2025 season where the program struggled to find consistency.

The Volunteers looked like a playoff-caliber team at times this season — specifically in an overtime loss to the Georgia Bulldogs and a 20 point win against the Florida Gators in the Swamp.

But poor coaching decisions and poor execution in critical moments ultimately doomed Tennessee in 2025.

There’s one decision Josh Heupel needs to make immediately or else the Vols will be doomed in 2026

It’s going to take some time for Heupel to evaluate what changes need to be made in Tennessee’s program.

One decision, though, that needs to be made immediately is the Vols’ plan at quarterback in 2026.

The expectation is that redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger will transfer, leaving Tennessee with just two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster — rising redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and rising true freshman Faizon Brandon.

Based on what we’ve seen in college football over the last couple of seasons — experience is often the difference in wins and losses — I think it’s fair to suggest that starting a quarterback with zero career starts against an nine-game SEC schedule in 2026 would be a terrible decision by Heupel.

There’s some hope that quarterback Joey Aguilar will gain another season of eligibility. If that happens, then it’s an easy answer to the Vols’ quarterback conundrum.

But it’s hardly a guarantee that Aguilar will be granted another season of eligibility. It’s also unclear if a quick ruling will be made on Aguilar’s eligibility — which could be an issue for the Vols.

Tennessee simply can’t wait on a decision on Aguilar to be made. Landing a starting quarterback in the transfer portal is extremely competitive. If Tennessee waits around, they won’t get a top option.

Which is why if a decision isn’t made on Aguilar quickly, the Vols may just have to move on. And that may not be a bad thing — Aguilar is limited as a playmaker. He’s a great facilitator in Heupel’s offense, but he doesn’t quite have athleticism and escapability needed to be a championship quarterback. It’s important that Tennessee doesn’t get caught up in Aguilar’s story (which is great) and let it cloud their offseason quarterback approach.

With that said, Aguilar’s year of experience in Heupel’s system is an asset, and I think he could have a great season at Tennessee in 2026 (even if he is limited as a playmaker). But still, the Vols can’t wait around on a decision to be made on his eligibility. Unless a decision happens in the next couple of weeks, Tennessee will need to pursue some of the top quarterback options in the portal.

For now, it’s too early to say who Tennessee should pursue. That will all depend on skillset, who’s available, and who fits the best with the Vols’ current culture.

If Tennessee wants to compete for a championship next season, they absolutely can’t enter the season with a freshman starting quarterback. If they do, they’ll be risking another lackluster 8-4 type of season — or maybe worse with a nine game SEC schedule coming next fall.

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