Tennessee Vols have finally settled on a quarterback solution for the 2026 season
The Tennessee Vols finally have a third quarterback after striking on a couple of targets.
After striking out on a couple of their top targets, the Tennessee Vols have finally added a transfer quarterback to the roster.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Colorado Buffaloes transfer quarterback Ryan Staub has committed to Tennessee.
Staub, 6-1, 200 pounds from Stevenson Ranch, CA, is a former three-star recruit who has passed for 681 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions in his college career. He visited Tennessee on Sunday.
What does the addition of Ryan Staub mean for Tennessee?
Staub will join rising redshirt freshman quarterback George MacIntyre and incoming true freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon on Tennessee’s roster in 2026.
The addition of Staub means that Tennessee will feature a three-man quarterback competition this spring/fall.
And MacIntyre will be the favorite to win that battle.
“If you’re George MacIntyre or if you’re Faizon Brandon, man, there’s never been a greater time to go [compete],” said VolQuest’s Brent Hubbs Friday on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will. “You’ve got to go right now. And we’ve seen George MacIntyre — he was in Florida over this past week with a bunch of Tennessee guys throwing ball down there and working out with some guys. He has got to go. And this is his — I won’t say it’s his one shot or his only shot — but he will never have a better shot than he’s got right now.
“And you know Faizon is coming in as a young guy, but he’s going to have a shot right out of the gate here because of where Tennessee’s at…[Tennessee’s coaching staff] is going to pour into those guys. Because [they’re] probably thinking, right now, that [their] starting quarterback is one of those two guys.”
Tennessee’s coaching staff likes MacIntyre a lot, but there’s some concern about how his thin frame will hold up against the grind of a nine-game SEC schedule in 2026.
“I think they like his mental side of it,” added Hubbs on 104.5 The Zone’s Ramon and Will Friday when asked what Tennessee likes about MacIntyre. “I think they like his recall, his understanding, his quick decision making, his solid decision making. It’s certainly not perfect, but I think they like those things. He has to continue to get bigger and stronger. We know that’s become the narrative about George MacIntyre over the last two plus months.
“He’s not put on kind of the size that you would have hoped and wanted in terms of just growing. That doesn’t mean he can’t play. It just means it was a missed opportunity over the course of the last six or seven months to physically be at a better spot than he is right now. Size-wise, again, you can play a 200-pound quarterback, you can play a 195-pound quarterback. But you better keep that guy upright. And you better hope he can take a hit. You better hope he knows how to avoid a hit, because there’s durability concerns. It’s not that he can’t physically play the position. It’s a durability part with his size, and that’s why everybody would like to see him put on more weight.”
Brandon and Staub will have a chance to beat out MacIntyre for the starting job, but it’ll be a surprise if GMac, despite his weight issues, isn’t under center for the Vols next fall (unless Joey Aguilar is granted another season of eligibility on Feb. 10, which still feels unlikely).
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