Vols head coach Josh Heupel confirms suspicion about the post Nico Iamaleava era at Tennessee
With the news on Saturday that quarterback Nico Iamaleava is entering the NCAA transfer portal, it means that the Tennessee Vols have only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. For now, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger is expected to be Tennessee's starting quarterback this fall. True freshman George MacIntyre, who arrived at UT in December, will […]
With the news on Saturday that quarterback Nico Iamaleava is entering the NCAA transfer portal, it means that the Tennessee Vols have only two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster.
For now, redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger is expected to be Tennessee's starting quarterback this fall. True freshman George MacIntyre, who arrived at UT in December, will serve as a backup.
While speaking with reporters on Saturday after Tennessee's annual Orange and White game, Heupel acknowledged that the Vols will hope to add another quarterback to the roster this offseason.
"Any time your roster has the opportunity to change, that's in December, that's in the spring, as we go through the process you're always evaluating what you have on your roster," explained Heupel. "Where you're vulnerable, numbers might not be right [because of] injuries or whatever, and you're trying to get your roster to where it needs to be to give yourself the best chance you can when you get to kick off in the fall.
"Certainly, with only two scholarship players at the quarterback position, we're going to have to find another guy."
Heupel was specifically asked if he'll be looking for a quarterback to compete with Merklinger for the starting quarterback job — a question that Heupel, unsurprisingly, dodged.
One obvious choice for the Vols would be former Tennessee quarterback Gaston Moore, who entered the NCAA transfer portal in December.
Moore, who started his career at UCF with Heupel in 2020, spent the last four seasons at Tennessee as a backup. He's yet to find a new home this offseason, which makes a reunion with Tennessee still a possibility.
Heupel and his staff could also search for an option that will serve as legitimate competition for Merklinger this fall, though that option seems less likely.
Either way, Vols fans should expect to see Tennessee add a quarterback from the transfer portal in the next couple of weeks.
