By Mark Nagi
Over the last few weeks, you’ve probably heard or read a lot about the Tennessee quarterback position.
Joey Aguilar had a terrific 2025 season, throwing for 3,565 yards and 24 touchdowns for the Vols. But it seems like a long shot to see him in Orange and White next year. He’s part of a lawsuit filed against the NCAA with the goal of earning another year of eligibility. It would be his eighth year playing college football.
Redshirt freshman Jake Merklinger would have been the next man up, as he was sitting second on the Tennessee depth chart. Merklinger played in six games over the last two seasons, completing 6 of 11 passes for 38 yards. But he decided to enter the transfer portal and will not be returning to the Vols this Fall.
Tennessee has been shopping for a QB of its own in that portal. They reportedly offered Alabama QB Ty Simpson $4 million to come back to his home state and play for the Vols. But Simpson, a Martin native, chose to declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft instead.
They reportedly offered an NIL package worth around $5 million to Arizona State QB Sam Leavitt. But Leavitt chose to take more money and commit to Lane Kiffin and LSU.
Overall, approximately a third of all FBS football players have entered the transfer portal, with over 6200 available at some point, and over 4000 in the portal in mid-January. Right now, it appears the best two options for the Vols aren’t in the portal but are already on the UT campus.
Redshirt freshman George MacIntyre and true freshman Faizon Brandon are the future of the Volunteer offense. Their ability (or inability) to grasp this offensive system will go a long way towards determining how much longer Josh Heupel’s tenure as Tennessee’s head coach will last.
MacIntyre was one of the nation’s most sought-after QBs in the Class of 2025. He was ranked 8th nationally at his position by Rivals. ESPN listed him as the top overall recruit in the state of Tennessee. MacIntyre threw for 8293 yards and 62 touchdowns for Brentwood Academy.
He chose to play for the Vols over Alabama, Georgia, and LSU, among others. As a true freshman, MacIntyre saw action in two games, completing 7 of his 9 throws for 69 yards. Getting into games against ETSU and New Mexico State didn’t give us much of a look at what he can do, but he certainly has the potential to be a very good signal caller.
And you know what? Brandon could also be a solid QB for Tennessee. A five-star recruit out of Greensboro, 24/7 Sports lists him as the 7th-ranked overall player in the nation and 2nd-ranked quarterback in the country.
“Really excited about having him in the quarterback room and competing next Fall,” said Heupel in December. “Anytime you’re able to get a quarterback that’s at that level and is made of the right things, he’s able to develop relationships with guys and help attract them. And he certainly did that in this recruiting class, really on both sides of the football.”
Brandon was one of Tennessee’s first recruits in the Class of 2026, and he helped woo other top talent to Knoxville in that Class as well.
We live in a weird time in college football. 4 and 5-star QBs arrive on campuses with great fanfare, and then many of them end up with another school within a year or two. The development of quarterbacks often pays off for the next school, not the first school.
This Fall, we might find out that the old ways are still the best ways at Tennessee if Heupel can coach up the two youngsters.
