Tennessee is going about finding a quarterback in the transfer portal the wrong way. It’s time for the Vols to get more aggressive.

The common assumption is that Tennessee coach Josh Heupel is just looking for a stop-gap quarterback that can get him through this season with some depth in case poor play or injuries force him to his third-string signal caller. UT is just after a warm body for practice and in case something goes terribly wrong with the current quarterbacks on its roster, right?

Forget that. Heupel should set his sites higher.

Former Vol Nico Iamaleava is the highest-rated quarterback in the transfer portal, but there are other highly regarded quarterbacks looking for homes – or who have already found some. There is no question that Iamaleava’s late departure has put the Vols in a lurch. Heupel doesn’t have to accept that.

Few quality quarterbacks make their move during the spring transfer portal. They transfer earlier in order to participate in spring practice. Highly regarded quarterbacks make their move in January to ensure they can their new team can adapt to each other. Hogwash.

A truly great quarterback could step in at Tennessee and win the starting job for a couple of reasons: Jake Merklinger and George MacIntyre. Merklinger wasn’t good enough to keep Gaston Moore from being the second-string quarterback in 2024. MacIntyre is brand new to the program and needs to gain some serious weight before he’s ready for the SEC. So why not make a splash?

First of all, we know that NIL contracts are about as binding as dental floss. There isn’t a quarterback with a current contract that couldn’t bolt if he really wanted to. Just how tied is Carson Beck to Miami? I’d find out.

In fact, there are 14 quarterbacks transfers that are rated with four stars in the portal. All are currently signed with other teams, but what does that matter? As we’ve all learned, there is no loyalty nor binding contracts if a player really wants to leave for another school. 

Heupel could better his team this season with a more talented quarterback than he has on his roster, and, in come cases, he could plan for the future if a quarterback has more than one season of eligibility left on his resume.

There’s no shame in calling some other, higher-rated quarterbacks who are already on other campuses. Beck carries some baggage and is probably linked permanently to Miami, but let’s not let that shut down the possibility of nabbing him or another top-flight signal caller.

How about John Mateer, who signed with Oklahoma after playing at Washington State? Would you rather play quarterback for Sooner coach Brent Venables or Tennessee coach Josh Heupel? That’s a no brainer. If Heupel thinks Mateer is good enough, the Vols should go get him while sticking it to Heupel’s former school at the same time.

How about Fernando Mendoza or Luke Kromenhoek, who left more prominent football programs for Indiana and Mississippi State after short careers at California and Florida State, respectively. Are you telling me they couldn’t be wooed by all that the University of Tennessee has to offer? 

I won’t bore you with all the transfers that the Vols could land if they really wanted to. Let’s just say there are quite a few that could impact Tennessee’s program now and into the future. Moreover, this is a better time to change course than you might think.

No matter who the Vols land at quarterback, he won’t immediately be familiar with Tennessee’s offense unless he ran a similar system at his previous stop. However, summer may be the most important time for quarterbacks to prepare for the upcoming season.

There is no limit to how much a quarterback can practice and prepare during the summer. One could argue that summer workouts are every bit as important to quarterbacks and skill-position players as spring practice is to the entire team.

There’s no reason to think that the current Tennessee quarterbacks are ready to head up the Vols’ offense. Surely Iamaleava received the majority of the first-team snaps during spring camp which meant Merklinger, a redshirt freshman, filled in the gaps, and MacIntyre, a true freshman, was still struggling to find his way around campus.

I have no doubt the Vols could find a quarterback that is better prepared for college football than Merklinger or MacIntyre if they went all in with a more established quarterback, even if he is already “signed” with another school. 

How about Conner Weigman, who transferred from Texas A&M to Houston, or Miller Moss, who transferred from USC to Louisville? If nothing else, some overtures from Tennessee would make current and potential rivals have to pony up some more cash to withhold the quarterback that is the center of their 2025 plans. 

Instead of being the bridesmaid, Tennessee needs to think about landing a catch of a bride. The NIL issue has embarrassingly been forced on the Vols. It’s time to pass the buck.

Tennessee has more NIL money to divvy out than most schools. It’s time to remind the nation of that. The Vols don’t have to settle on Merklinger, MacIntyre or a warm body to fill a roster spot. It’s time for Tennessee to drop their old quarterback plans like a bad habit, get aggressive and not let a challenge keep them from landing a quarterback that can compete for a staring job and likely win it.

No offense to Merklinger nor MacIntyre, but better, more proven quarterbacks are out there. As we’ve learned from the Iamaleava debacle, they’re all available – at a price.