Former Tennessee Vols QB is battling for the starting job at new school, but he appeared to suffer an injury during spring game
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Jake Merklinger transferred to the UConn Huskies earlier this offseason. Merklinger is battling for the starting quarterback job at UConn.
Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Jake Merklinger is hoping to be a starter this fall.
Merklinger, who spent the first two seasons of his college career at Tennessee, transferred to UConn earlier this offseason.
The former four-star recruit is competing for the starting quarterback job at UConn this spring/summer.
Merklinger passed for 221 yards and two touchdowns during his two seasons at Tennessee. He served as the Vols’ No. 2 quarterback in 2025.
Jake Merklinger appears to suffer injury during UConn’s spring game
Merklinger played just one drive in UConn’s spring football game this past weekend.
The Georgia native left the game after appearing on three plays (Merklinger threw a touchdown on one of those plays). Merklinger returned to the field in street clothes with his right wrist wrapped.
“I think he has done a really good job, and just like Tucker (McDonald), he is a guy who wants to compete and wants to continue to go win the job,” said UConn head coach Jason Candle of Merklinger. “I have seen that from all those guys. We have rotated them pretty equally through the entire spring and given them all the opportunity to go in and be with the first team, the second team and the third team.”
UConn’s quarterback battle is still wide open for now. We’ll see if Merklinger can earn the job this summer and into fall camp.