If recruiting analysts have any idea what they’re talking about, Tennessee football head coach Josh Heupel is one of the best quarterback recruiters I’ve ever seen. Now, his star pupils just have to prove him right.
I’d argue the Vols have seen one elite season, 2022, from its quarterbacks as Heupel enters his fifth season. It’s also worth nothing that Heupel chose former Vol Joe Milton over All-SEC quarterback Hendon Hooker, who led that elite season, on at least two occasions.
The strange aspect of the erratic quarterback play is the Vols have checked every last box in recruiting and have still managed to have team success. So does Tennessee need elite quarterback play to be elite?
I still say yes. I think Tennessee football can be middle-of-the-pack in the SEC with average quarterback play, but they’re not likely going to hoist any championship trophies unless a Hendon Hooker-type comes walking through the door. To Heupel’s credit, highly rated quarterbacks do indeed keeping walking through the door.
Sure, former Vol Nico Iamaleava transferred back home to UCLA, but just signing him from three time zones away was pretty impressive no matter how much NIL money was involved. Then, when Tennessee needed a fast backup, the Vols had enough of a reputation to call up Bruin quarterback Joey Aguilar.
At the very least, Aguilar will give the Vols another option for this season as they try to replace Iamaleava. Most seem to think Aguilar will eventually nab the starting job over another highly rated quarterback, former four-start prospect Jake Merklinger, who will be a redshirt freshman this season. Wait, there’s more.
Highly touted Nashville quarterback prospect George MacIntyre enrolled at UT in January and took part in spring practice. Faion Brandon, a member of the 2026 Tennessee football recruiting class, was recently named the player with the “Most Upside” of prospects in an Elite 11 camp this weekend.
Brandon, who is 6-foot-4, 200 pounds and from Grimsley High School in Greensboro, N.C., may be the Vols’ most impressive quarterback prospect landed under Heupel, who had NIL help with Iamaleava, was impressive in landing Merklinger and had some in-state help with MacIntyre.
The Vols didn’t have some unbeatable inside track to Brandon. Tennessee simply targeted one of the elite quarterbacks in the nation and have him as part of their short and long term future. That’s the type of quarterback stockpiling that most any school would kill for.
Heupel now just needs the production to match the star ratings.
