It’s just a spring scrimmage, and George MacIntyre had an easier job working against second-teamers, but anybody who saw the Tennessee Football Orange and White game Saturday could tell the Vols have their guy with Nico Iamaleava gone. Josh Heupel should go ahead and pull the trigger on the future.
While Jake Merklinger threw a few nice balls in 7-on-7 drills and looked better in certain skills tests, once the 11-on-11 scrimmage hit Saturday, MacIntyre was the star. Merklinger only led the Vols to one touchdown despite directing the offense on four drives.
MacIntyre, meanwhile, led Tennessee Football to four touchdowns on five drives, and he threw four touchdown passes. He was highly efficient throughout the game, including two perfect drives in terms of passing the ball. Also, it’s worth noting that he did spend one drive working against the first team.
Remember, MacIntyre was the successor to Iamaleava all along, and Merklinger was an insurance policy. After a year in the system, Merklinger should be ahead of MacIntyre, but MacIntyre is still high school age. He showed more promise and more upside Saturday and is obviously the future.
After summer workouts and fall camp, it could be a safe bet that MacIntyre will be the better quarterback. Even if it’s 60-40 Merklinger to start in September, MacIntyre will make that up with in-game action. There’s just too much raw talent with him.
Although Heupel’s offense can be complicated for receivers and interior blockers, there’s not as much of a learning curve, ironically, for quarterbacks. They are coached to just read one side of the field and take a short drop in the pocket. All they really have to do is read the safety.
It already appears as if MacIntyre is picking up the offense. Also, as an in-state kid who was recruiting heavily for the Vols, he seems to be a leader and to want to play for this program. That could lead to an NIL discount if he balls out, and it also shows moxy UT didn’t have at quarterback last year.
The only reservation with MacIntyre right now would be his size. He is currently 6’6″ 190 pounds, and with the Vols starting four new offensive linemen this upcoming year, he can’t afford to play SEC ball at that weight. However, another round of summer workouts could get him up to 205-210, and that’ll be serviceable enough.
Heupel would buy himself a year with MacIntyre, and he could really grow a very young offense in doing so as well. MacIntyre, Peyton Lewis, Mike Matthews and even Boo Carter could all be back in 2026, as none of them can leave for the pros. If they all gel with the new offensive line this year, which has another elite true freshman in David Sanders Jr., then that could be the season things take off.
Why not make the leap now? MacIntyre clearly has a good rapport with many of the players on the offense. A year of growing pains that may see Tennessee Football stumble to 8-4 would be worth it when everybody comes back the next year, making for a star-studded offense everybody wants to see. Based on the spring game, the move post-Iamaleava is MacIntyre or bust.
