In the age of NIL, it’s borderline impossible to have more than two scholarship quarterbacks who would be legitimate contenders to start for any team at your level. Tennessee football hasn’t had that ever since Josh Heupel took over in 2021.
This year, though, the Vols have three.
The Nico Iamaleava departure would have had them right where they were before. Now, though, they have a fifth-year proven veteran in Joey Aguilar, a four-star in Jake Merklinger with a year of experience and a true freshman phenom who is a borderline five-star in George MacIntyre.
Assuming Aguilar wins the starting job, it’s safe to say the combination of Merklinger and MacIntyre gives Heupel one of the best backup quarterback situations in the nation. Will Backus of CBS Sports didn’t include either in his list of top 10 backups, but the options give the Vols the advantage.
It’s always crucial to have multiple quarterbacks on your roster because no matter what you think of the guy you signed, you can’t predict what he will be as a starter. Phillip Fulmer made the mistake later in his career going all in on one quarterback. While it paid off with Tee Martin early in his career, it proved costly with Jonathan Crompton.
Now, though, Tennessee football has options for its backup. Sure, that was common for the top-heavy teams of the Nick Saban era, but in most eras of the sport for most teams, that has been a rare occurrence. What are the chances all three of these quarterbacks are failures?
Heck, there’s a chance Merklinger or MacIntyre wins the job. In that case, if Aguilar is the backup Heupel has to turn to, he’s got the veteran. Hendon Hooker was the veteran when Heupel moved from Joe Milton III to him back in 2021. He could have that luck again.
You might point out that the Vols had three quarterbacks last year since Merklinger was on the roster and Gaston Moore was the true backup, but if Iamaleava had gotten hurt for a period of time longer than just the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Heupel would have turned to Merklinger over Moore. He was just saving a redshirt.
That will likely happen with MacIntyre this year, but MacIntyre is an elite passer with a bright future. He has star potential for Tennessee football, and Merklinger has the experience in the system. Add in Aguilar, and it’s hard to see the quarterback situation not working out.
