Tennessee Vols have a tough recruiting decision to make and the answer might not be as obvious as it seems
The Tennessee Vols have a tough recruiting decision to make in the 2025 cycle and the right answer may not be as obvious as it seems. Tennessee is currently pursuing 2025 five-star quarterback George MacIntyre. He appears to be Vols' top quarterback target in the 2025 cycle. MacIntyre, 6-foot-5/182 lbs from Brentwood, TN, is rated […]
The Tennessee Vols have a tough recruiting decision to make in the 2025 cycle and the right answer may not be as obvious as it seems.
Tennessee is currently pursuing 2025 five-star quarterback George MacIntyre. He appears to be Vols' top quarterback target in the 2025 cycle.
MacIntyre, 6-foot-5/182 lbs from Brentwood, TN, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 2 quarterback in the nation and the No. 9 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.
Another one of Tennessee's 2025 quarterback targets is Madden Iamaleava, a four-star recruit who is the younger brother of Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava.
Iamaleava, 6-foot-3/185 lbs from Downey, CA, is rated by 247Sports as the No. 10 quarterback in the nation and the No. 164 overall player in the 2025 recruiting class.
On paper, it seems like an easy decision to prioritize MacIntyre. He's an in-state kid and he's rated near the top of the recruiting class.
But it might not be that simple.
For starters, the expectation is that Iamaleava's recruiting ranking will rise significantly over the next year. Once source who works for a program that's already offered Iamaleava expects him to be a five-star player by the time he signs with a program next winter.
More importantly, Iamaleava's highlight reel is incredibly impressive. He moves well, he has a big arm, he's a playmaker, and he's accurate.
That's a player with star potential.
MacIntyre is also incredibly talented and has star potential. But one key difference between the two players, which I think is more important than some folks may suggest, is the record of their high school teams.
Iamaelava went 11-3 this season while passing for 3,831 yards, 44 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 359 yards and four touchdowns.
MacInytre, meanwhile, led Brentwood to a 2-10 record despite being surrounded by a talented group of players. Now, that's not to put the blame on MacIntyre. High school quarterbacks can only control so much. But Vols head coach Josh Heupel has made it clear in the past that factors beyond recruiting rankings and measurables go into making a quarterback an elite player.
"It's about the makeup and the guy inside as much as it is anything," said Heupel at his intro press conference in 2021. "How competitive are they? I think that's incredibly important. It drives them every day. What is their ability to react and respond to adverse situations? Can they wipe the slate clean from the previous play? Can they handle all the noise and all the pressure that's going on around them, not just on gameday, but in everyday life as they walk through campus? Can they meet the expectations and the work habits that you have to have? All of those little things add up to a guy playing at a championship level at that position. And if you're going to chase championships, you better have a championship quarterback."
Maybe MacIntyre is that guy. I'm certainly not discounting him as a player (again, he's an elite talent). I'm just simply suggesting that this decision may not be as clear cut as it seems.
Both of these players are going to get chances at big-time Power-5 programs. And when they do, the recruiting rankings won't matter. Tennessee needs to approach this decision with an open mind and make sure they make the right choice (assuming, of course, that both quarterbacks want to play for the Vols).
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