Tennessee freshman quarterback George MacIntyre probably looks at things a bit different than he did when he signed the Vols in June. The quarterback position doesn’t look nearly as settled as it did before last season. 

MacIntyre signed up with a wide-open opportunity to become the Vols’ starter in 2026. That may no be soon enough.

I’m not suggesting that rising sophomore quarterback Nico Iamaleava isn’t the entrenched starter, nor that he should be worried about his starting job right away. However, there certainly shouldn’t be zero doubt based on his performance last season, which was average at best.

Iamaleava was good, but not great. He ranked seventh in passing efficiency in the SEC during a season in which quarterback play was far below its usual standard. MacIntyre is sure to be a fan favorite since he’s an in-state prospect and the backup quarterback, which, as we all know, everyone loves, especially if things aren’t going well with the starter.

That was certainly the case in 2023 when former Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton struggled and fans clamored for UT head coach Josh Heupel to give Iamaleava a shot, which never happened. That was probably a mistake considering how Milton was struggling at times that season. However, according to multiple sources who spoke with Off The Hook Sports, Iamaleava wasn’t nearly ready enough to play early in his freshman career and even had trouble calling plays in the huddle.

That’s not an indictment of Iamaleava. He was a true freshman in 2023. Now, Iamaleava is a sophomore after three seasons at Tennessee, which could be his last in college if he decides to jump to the NFL after this season as we’ve all assumed. Given Iamaleava’s play in 2024, we may want to examine that assertion. That could mean some more playing opportunities for MacIntyre.

It would be nearly impossible for MacIntyre just to show up and knock down the door for a starting postion as quarterback of the Vols. However, Iamaleava seems to have left the door a bit ajar. Is MacIntyre good enough to take advantage of that? Based on the two quarterbacks’ recruiting rankings alone, probably not. MacIntyre wasn’t nearly as highly regarded coming out of high school as Iamaleava. But we all know that recruiting rankings don’t mean much after a player steps on a college football field.

For some perspective, Iamaleava was rated the No. 2 quarterback in the nation and the No. 3 overall prospect in Tennessee. MacIntyre was ranked as the 92nd best overall prospect in the nation and the 10th best quarterback in the country. Iamaleava was a five-star prospect. MacIntyre has only four stars listed by his recruiting profile.

Should the Vols open up the competition at quarterback during the offseason and during spring practice? After all, Tennessee has plenty of time to take a strong look at MacIntyre, who is currently enrolled at UT and taking part in the preparations leading up to the Polynesian Bowl this week. Based on Heupel’s history, a massive shift like a quarterback change is probably not going to happen, nor am I implying it should. Heupel tends to stick with his chosen starter – even if it looks like he’s made the wrong decision.

Heupel chose Milton over former Vol Hendon Hooker, who was clearly better than Milton after he was injured. Heupel also stuck with Milton in 2023 when it looked like the Vols could used a boost at quarterback. Loyalty is great – until it actually costs you football games.

MacIntyre already had a leg up on Iamaleava before either became Volunteers. Iamaleava certainly helped the 2023 class when he signed with the Vols. Him choosing Tennessee undoubtedly had a ripple effect that led to more players signing on to play with the Vols. MacIntyre, however, had an even bigger impact in his recruitment. It’s ben well documented that he’s been heavily recruiting for Tennessee. Iamaleava did some of the same but nearly as much as MacIntyre.

Tennessee’s quarterback room could also have a much better vibe with MacIntyre in charge. Iamaleava’s camp recently demanded a raise despite him making well over $2-million per season. It seems unlikely that MacIntyre would ever be such a distraction given the star prospect from Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy has long said that playing for Tennessee is a lifelong dream.

Here’s another factor to keep in mind. If MacIntyre became the bona fide starter at some point this season, Tennessee would likely be much more settled at quarterback in 2026. Why? Because Iamaleava is surely off to the NFL if he has a standout season in 2025. Now, Iamaleava could stay around for the 2026 season, but his camp will almost assuredly demand more money if things go well and he wants to stay in college. Welcome to the world of NIL inflation.

As for MacIntyre, such demands wouldn’t be nearly as strong considering he’s an in-state player that has long said he loves Tennessee. Less money spent on a quarterback means more money could be spent on other positions. At what point is Iamaleava more of an anchor than a saviour if he doesn’t play at a higher level than he did last season and regularly expects significant raises whenever the mood hits him?

There’s also culture to take in mind. If the Iamaleava camp isn’t happy with how their star player is being used, then the juice might not be worth the squeeze. Sure, any coach would be willing to bend over backward for an elite player but not necessarily a middle-of-the-pack quarterback in the SEC.

Tennessee fans shouldn’t be confident that head coach Josh Heupel will make the correct decision with the quarterback position moving forward. As good of a coach as he is, especially on offense, he’s continually made questionable decisions at quarterback, such as playing Milton over Hooker in 2021 and not giving Iamaleava a shot in 2023.

Heupel can’t be blamed for last season. The Vols were stuck. Tennessee didn’t have any depth at quarterback and, even if they did, benching Iamaleava would be an incredibly bad look – and a major step back – for the Vols – in recruiting.

It would be surprising if MacIntyre got a whiff of the starting quarterback position, barring an injury to Iamaleava. Switching up quarterbacks usually has poor results and Heupel tends to stick with his man. Tennessee was supposed to have a settled quarterback situation in 2024. The results were mixed. 

The Vols were supposed to have a rock-solid quarterback situation headed into last season. However, it doesn’t look nearly as settled as we thought it would be when Iamaleava became one of the highest-rated signees in Tennessee history. If I’m MacIntyre, I’m feeling pretty good about that.